On January 18, 2001, Barry W. Mawn, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in a ceremony conducted at the FBI office in New York City, returned to officials of the government of Greece 274 artifacts which had been stolen April 12, 1990, from the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth.

In the largest theft of antiquities ever recorded in Greece, a total of 284 artifacts, valued at approximately $2 million, were stolen during the early morning hours of April 12, 1990, when several individuals broke into the museum and overpowered the security guard. The FBI in New York initiated an investigation when it was learned that several of the stolen artifacts had been consigned for auction at Christie's in New York City.

Working closely with Greek police officials and the Greek Ministry of Culture, the FBI recovered approximately 265 of the stolen artifacts in Miami, Florida, on September 7, 1999. During the course of the investigation, Wilma Sabala was identified as having possession of the entire collection of stolen artifacts at the time they were consigned to Christie's. Sabala was arrested by the FBI on June 9, 2000, in Miami, Florida. She pleaded guilty to a charge of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property and was sentenced to one year in jail. In all, 274 of the stolen items were recovered. In Athens, Greece, a trial is currently underway of four defendants in connection with the theft. Two of the four defendants are being tried in absentia and are living in South America.

Accepting the artifacts for the government of Greece were Elisabeth Spathari, Director of Antiquities, Ministry of Culture of Greece, Zoi Aslamatzidou, Archaelogist, and Fotis Dimakis, Conservator, both of the Ministry of Culture of Greece, and Lt. Colonel George Tzallas and Sgt. Vasilios Ranyos of the Greek Police.