In 2006, a Canadian couple fled the country after allegedly stealing $60,000 in antique books and rare prints from The Avenue in downtown Westport. They've been wanted by the Westport Police Department ever since.

They are now accused of more brazen crimes in their home country: pilfering more than $500,000 in property from Canadian homeowners in the Toronto area.

In 2008, Peter Mason King, 52, and Nora Ann Thomson, 51, were given conditional sentences, essentially house arrest, in Canada for a string of robberies similar to what they did in Westport. Warrants were issued by the Westport Police Department, but to no avail since they were in another country.

Before the alleged home burglaries came to light, the King and Thomson were wanted for stealing rare materials, such as books and art, and then selling them to other dealers. It was their crimes in Westport which busted the case wide open.

The couple visited The Avenue  several times in 2006. Rare books, including one from the 1600s about Louis XIV, went missing, and owner Diana Wyant had no idea what happened. According to the Hartford Courant, she reported the thefts and they suggested she install a camera. Days after the cameras were installed, King and Thompson returned.

The footage showed Thomson placing books into her purse as her husband distracted Wyant. She called 9-1-1 immediately after watching the footage, and the couple was arrested in Canada soon after.

While they did the time in Canada, they have yet to face punishment in the United States. Odds are they'll avoid facing a trial here unless they willingly decide to enter the U.S.

"They made it very clear they weren't coming back here," said Deputy Chief Dale Call.

Westport police say the case is still open, and if the couple tries coming back into the United States they will be arrested immediately since their names are in a national database.

"It's hard enough sometimes from state to state [to extradite someone] depending on the charge, but it's very hard to go through another government," said Captain Foti Koskinas. "It's also very expensive."

He said that people would be extradited for violent crimes or thefts that involve a significantly greater amount money.

"If it was anything terrorist related, anything homeland security related, then extradition would be a lot easier," he added. "For something like a property theft, we wouldn't pursue that and neither would the courts."

Since the couple served their punishment, it has been discovered by Canadian authorities that the couple allegedly posed as potential home buyers in order to get inside homes, distract the sellers and pocket whatever was around, according to the Toronto Star. Some of the thefts go back four or five years.

In the end, Wyant was able to recover most of the stolen goods. They were returned in poor condition, with creases and tears, she said in an interview.

"It's a shame they weren't locked up somewhere," Koskinas said. "You and I make a living going to work everyday, and they make a living ripping people off."