The Associated Press:

E. Forbes Smiley III, 50, of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of theft of major artwork in connection with the theft of a map from Yale University. He admitted taking a total of 97 maps over eight years from other institutions, including the New York and Boston public libraries, the Newberry Library in Chicago, the Harvard University library and the British Library in London. The oldest maps dated back to the 1500s. …

Smiley was released after posting $50,000 bond. He later pleaded guilty to three larceny charges in state court in connection with the Yale map thefts.

Smiley faces nearly six years in prison on the federal charge and will have to pay restitution. The amount has not yet been determined.

Sentencing on the federal charge is scheduled for September 21; he also faces up to five years on the state charges.

Thanks to Smiley’s cooperation, the article notes, most of the stolen maps have been recovered.

Update: The Hartford Courant story covers the same ground in a bit more detail (via MapHist).

Update #2, June 23 at 7:30 AM: BBC coverage.

Update #3, June 23 at 5 PM: More original, non-wire-service reporting from the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Daily Telegraph. The story is apparently being well covered everywhere Smiley stole a map; WCVB-TV in Boston picked up the AP story.

Update #4, June 24 at 8:15 AM: Coverage in the Manchester Union Leader, thanks to Smiley’s New Hampshire connections.

Update #5, June 24 at 11:00 PM: Yale Daily News.

Update #6, June 26 at 11:00 PM: Still more news articles: An updated story from the Daily Telegraph; an earlier story from the New York Times that I’d missed; WTNH-TV in New Haven.