SMASHING PUMPKINS Robbed

May 9, 2007

According to MTV.com, Joshua Kuhl of Madison, Wisconsin, and Simon Brown of Rockford, Illinois, allegedly broke into a Chicago rehearsal space being used by the SMASHING PUMPKINS on Friday night and made off with three guitar picks and 39 photographs that police suspect the men may have tried to sell online, according to Chicago Police Department spokesman Marcel Bright. The pair were arrested Monday and charged with felony burglary after other tenants of the building provided a description that led police to the suspects.

Bright did not know how many of the photos — which were briefly posted on PUMPKINS fan site Netphoria.org — were discovered during the arrests. According to Netphoria webmaster Andrew Pakula, one of the two suspects posted the photos along with information about the theft. Among the allegedly pilfered shots that Bright said police suspect were slated for use in the PUMPKINS' upcoming album packaging and promotional materials are images of Paris Hilton posing in front of an exploding bomb, the grim reaper at a podium featuring the presidential seal with a black-and-white PUMPKINS flag in the back, a person in a business suit wearing a devil mask while being crucified, five blond children saluting, a close-up of Corgan in a hoodie and another of him standing next to a topless woman.

The band's management released a statement on Tuesday confirming that the burglary had taken place. "The two people who are now in jail illegally gained access to the band's private space and stole various items belonging to them over the course of several hours while the band had left for the evening," the statement read. "The band's management says the group feels their rights have been violated by this crime and will always pursue their rights and the law to protect their property and the safety of themselves, their families and their fans."

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