John Mark Tillman, antiquity thief, gets day parole

John Mark Tillman, the Halifax-area man who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items from libraries, universities and antique stores, is due to be released from prison later this month.

Tillman was sentenced in September 2013 to nearly eight years in prison for several crimes, including 34 counts of possession of stolen property.

He's scheduled to be released on day parole on Nov. 23, providing space can be found in a halfway house.

RCMP are opposed to his release. Const. Mark Skinner said Tillman's release does not include any provisions that he stay away from museums or antique stores.

The National Parole Board has imposed restrictions, including

• Tillman provide details of all financial transactions
• Have no unsupervised access to the internet 
• Not operate his own business
• Report all intimate relationships.

The parole board's report provides some new insights into Tillman's past and motivations.

"You indicated at your hearing to having received an 'adrenaline rush' while committing some of your offences," the board wrote in its decision.

Tillman's thefts spanned several years, a period when he supported himself almost exclusively through proceeds of crime.

"You stated you had also committed similar thefts in several countries in Europe in the mid to late 1990s," the board wrote.

The board noted Tillman has an extensive criminal record that, by his own admission, began at the age of two when he and an older relative would shoplift together.

Tillman also claimed that when a family member lost a piece of real estate to the government years ago, it became his motivation to "strike back".

The board also found encouraging signs in Tillman's behaviour during his time in prison.

"At your hearing, you explained to the board how you cooperated with authorities after your arrest to help identify all the artifacts and their rightful owners even in the face of controversy amongst other inmates."

Tillman also described how he's changed.

"You told the board about a turning point for you which occurred at the regional reception centre when you were provided small gifts from a community service organization that you had previously defrauded; this led you to the point where you decided to make positive change in your life."

While the parole board would not confirm the name of the service organization, prior to his conviction Tillman did claim for help under a home heating support program that the Salvation Army offers to low-income home-owners.

Rather than go to trial, Tillman pleaded guilty to more than 40 offences and agreed to forfeit his home and all the stolen items in his possession.

Just last month, RCMP were able to return a first edition of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species to the library at Mount Saint Vincent University, where Tillman had stolen it in 2009. The book was valued at up to $50,000.

His day parole will last for six months, after which his performance will be assessed by corrections officials.