According to federal prosecutors in North Dakota, a man has been charged by a grand jury for the theft of Judy Garland’s iconic ruby red slippers from “The Wizard of Oz.” The shoes were stolen in 2005 and later recovered in a 2018 FBI sting operation, but no arrests were made at the time.

The individual indicted, Terry Martin, has been charged with one count of theft of a significant artwork, as announced by prosecutors on Wednesday. Further details about Martin were not provided in the indictment, and there is no record of an attorney representing him available online.

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Martin, who is 76 years old, resides approximately 12 miles south of the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. When contacted by the newspaper, Martin declined to comment, stating, “I gotta go on trial. I don’t want to talk to you.”

Janie Heitz, the executive director of the museum, expressed surprise at the suspect living nearby but confirmed that none of the museum staff members are familiar with him.

During the production of the 1939 musical, Garland wore multiple pairs of ruby slippers. However, only four authentic pairs are known to exist today. At the time of the theft, the stolen slippers were insured for $1 million, but federal prosecutors stated that their current market value is approximately $3.5 million in a news release.

Prosecutors revealed that the stolen slippers were on loan to the Judy Garland Museum in the late actor’s hometown when an individual broke the display case by climbing through a window, leading to their recovery.

Janie Heitz, along with the museum staff, expressed astonishment that someone had been charged almost twenty years after the slippers were stolen.

Throughout the years, various rewards were offered in the hope of locating the slippers. Law enforcement initially offered $250,000, and in 2015, an anonymous donor from Arizona pledged $1 million.

The investigation into the missing slippers began when a man informed the shoes’ insurer in 2017 that he had information to assist in their recovery. Following an extensive year-long investigation, the FBI seized the shoes in Minneapolis in July 2018. At that time, no arrests or charges were made in connection with the case.

On Wednesday, a summons was issued for Terry Martin, and an initial court appearance was scheduled for June 1, to be conducted via video. Terry Van Horn, spokesperson for the U.S. Justice Department in North Dakota, stated that no further details could be provided beyond the content of the concise one-paragraph indictment.

The slippers have become famously linked to one of the memorable lines from “The Wizard of Oz,” where Dorothy, played by Garland, clicks her heels together while repeating the phrase, “There’s no place like home.” They are crafted from approximately twelve different materials, including wood pulp, silk thread, gelatin, plastic, and glass. Most of the vibrant ruby color is achieved using sequins, while the shoe bows feature red glass beads.

Among the four pairs of ruby slippers worn by Garland in the film, three are currently in the possession of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Smithsonian, and a private collector.

At the time of the theft, the stolen slippers were on loan from Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw. According to the museum’s director, Shaw received an insurance payment seven years after the theft.

The museum staff, led by Heitz, expressed their desire for the slippers to ultimately return to Garland’s hometown once the legal proceedings are concluded.