At university, Johnson was frequently at odds with teachers and other students, and was expelled in 1978 for insufficient academic performance.
[4] In 1980, now penniless and subsisting on odd jobs and petty theft, Johnson stole the Ames Stradivarius from Totenberg's dressing room after a concert.
In the early 1990s, Johnson found a measure of success after forming the musical trio Mobius with cellist Michael Fitzpatrick and pianist Xak Bjerken.
[4] Johnson's former wife discovered the Stradivarius in his belongings and attempted to sell it in 2015, not knowing the violin's origin and value.
After a dealer identified it and contacted the FBI, the violin was returned to Totenberg's heirs in August 2015.