Art Theft News
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Palm Beach Art Dealer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Laundering Money From Art Fraud Scheme
May 30, 2023
Palm Beach art dealer Daniel Elie Bouaziz was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for laundering money derived from his scheme to sell counterfeit artwork.
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May 26, 2023
Timothy Martin and Joanna Smith were taken into custody following an indictment charging conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.
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Minnesota Man Charged in Connection with ‘Ruby Slippers’ Theft
May 17, 2023
The indictment alleges that in 2005, Terry Martin stole an authentic pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.
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Seller of Counterfeit Art Extradited From Germany After 13 Years as a Fugitive
April 21, 2023
Angela Catherine Hamblin, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was extradited from Germany to the United States to serve a prison sentence for selling fake works of art.
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April 10, 2023
Art enthusiasts, collectors, and law enforcement can now search the FBI's National Stolen Art File app.
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March 29, 2023
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced the filing of a civil complaint seeking forfeiture of various World War I-era antiquities.
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Decades After Thefts, Stolen Artifacts Recovered and Returned to Museums, Historical Societies
March 13, 2023
Dozens of artifacts stolen during the 1970s have been recovered and returned to the owning institutions, announced Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division; Jacqueline Romero, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; and Kevin Steele, Montgomery County (Pa.
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2,700-Year-Old Antiquity Repatriated to Iraqi Government
March 9, 2023
ATLANTA—FBI Agents in Washington, D. C. yesterday returned a stolen artifact believed stolen from the Iraq Museum in Baghdad in 2003 to the Iraqi government. The artifact named “Furniture Fitting with Sphinx Trampling a Youth” had been held and on exhibit at the Michael C.
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March 9, 2023
The FBI returned a 2,700-year-old artifact to the government of Iraq that is believed to have been stolen during the pillaging of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad in 2003.
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United States Files Forfeiture Action for Manuscript Signed by Conquistador Hernando Cortés in 1527
November 22, 2022
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture action against a manuscript signed by Conquistador Hernando Cortés in 1527.
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FBI Seeking Information and Additional Victims of Suspected Art Fraud
October 20, 2022
On Friday, October 14, 2022, FBI Detroit arrested Wendy Halsted Beard, owner and operator of The Wendy Halsted Gallery (formerly The Halsted Gallery) on wire fraud charges. The complaint against the defendant alleges victims were defrauded in the following ways:.
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Business Partner of Art Dealer Inigo Philbrick Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Art Buyers and Financers
September 23, 2022
Robert Newland pleaded guilty to his role in a multi-year scheme to defraud various individuals and entities to finance Inigo Philbrick's art business.
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Partnership with Italian Authorities Leads to Artwork Return
September 16, 2022
The FBI located and returned several pieces of historic art, including a gold coin and tapestries, back to Italy.
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FBI Returns 2,000-Year-Old Italian Art That Languished in a Los Angeles Storage Facility for Decades
September 2, 2022
The FBI returned several pieces of art found in the U.S. to their rightful home in Italy.
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August 10, 2022
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO—The Embassy of the United States in Mexico and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the return of a Saint Anthony of Padua statue from the 19th century that was located in the Museum of Fine Arts of San Angelo (SAMFA) in Texas.
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FBI Art Crime Team Returns Paintings Stolen Five Decades Ago
June 10, 2022
NEW PALTZ, NY—The FBI New York Art Crime Team recently returned two stolen paintings, dating back to the 1820’s, to the Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz, NY after the works were stolen five decades ago.
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Former Art Dealer Sentenced to Seven Years for $86 Million Fraud Scheme
May 23, 2022
Inigo Philbrick received 84 months in prison in connection with a multi-year scheme to defraud various individuals and entities in order to finance his art business.
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April 22, 2022
The FBI returned 16 cultural items to representatives with the Peruvian government at a ceremony held in Los Angeles today, announced Kristi K. Johnson, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
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Decades After Thefts, Stolen Artifacts Recovered and Returned to Philadelphia-Area Museums
December 17, 2021
The FBI’s Art Crime Team and its law enforcement partners returned 15 artifacts that were stolen during the 1960s and 1970s to six museums in the Philadelphia area.
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Escondido Resident Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Selling $1.1 Million of Forged Art
December 10, 2021
Jason Harrington of Escondido has been sentenced to 36 months in prison for selling $1.1 million of forged art he claimed was created by Richard Hambleton.
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November 23, 2021
Thomas Gavin was sentenced to one day in prison for selling an antique rifle dating back to the American Revolution that he had stolen from a local museum.
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Man Charged with Selling Multiple Forged Paintings by Contemporary Artist Raymond Pettibon
October 13, 2021
Christian Rosa Weinberger was indicted for his role in a scheme to defraud art buyers through the sale of forged paintings by the artist Raymond Pettibon.
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Escondido Resident Admits to Selling More Than $1 Million of Forged Art
August 9, 2021
Jason Harrington of Escondido, California, pleaded guilty and admitted that he sold $1.1 million of forged art.
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Seller of Forged Basquiats and Harings Arrested on Fraud Charges
July 9, 2021
Officials announced the arrest of Angel Pereda for his role in a scheme to sell forged artworks purportedly created by renowned artists.
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Lynn Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Missing Warhol Paintings
April 1, 2021
Brian R. Walshe of Lynn pleaded guilty in connection with taking and attempting to sell two Warhol paintings on eBay.
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FBI Offers Reward of Up to $10,000 for Information Regarding Stolen National Treasures
March 24, 2021
KANSAS CITY, MO—The FBI announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the recovery of national treasures stolen 43 years ago from the Truman Presidential Library located at 500 West U.
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March 5, 2021
A stone stele on loan to the Dallas Museum of Art was determined to be a stolen artifact, and the FBI worked with its partners to ensure its safe return to the Nepali government.
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United States Secures Return of Artwork 87 Years After Nazis Looted it From Jewish Family in Berlin
October 15, 2020
“Winter,” a Gari Melchers painting looted by the Nazis in 1933 from a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany, was returned to the family’s heirs, represented by the Mosse Foundation.
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FBI Media Update: FBI Offers Reward in Theft of Paintings
October 8, 2020
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $8,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the theft of six paintings. The paintings were stolen in Dallas, Texas, on or about March 26, 2019, while they were being transported from Santa Fe to Louisiana.
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Antiquities Dealers Arrested for Fraud Scheme
September 22, 2020
Multiple individuals were charged with engaging in a years-long scheme to defraud buyers and brokers in the antiquities market.
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Indiana Man Arrested on Federal Fraud Charge for Allegedly Scheming to Sell Stolen Artwork
August 12, 2020
John Garcia of Indiana has been arrested on a federal fraud charge for allegedly scheming to sell expensive artwork stolen from a storage facility.
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Miami Federal Judge Sentences Los Angeles Art Fraudster to Five Years in Prison
July 16, 2020
Philip Righter of California was sentenced to five years in prison for running a scheme in which he tried to dupe prominent art businesses.
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July 15, 2020
Philip Righter, a West Hollywood man, pleaded guilty in federal court in Miami to criminal charges stemming from the sale of bogus artworks.
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Former London and Miami Art Dealer Arrested for Fraud Scheme
June 12, 2020
Inigo Philbrick, an art dealer specializing in post-war and contemporary fine art, has been charged with engaging in a multi-year scheme to defraud individuals.
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June 2, 2020
Antonio Dimarco was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 54 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
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Los Angeles Man Convicted of Scheming to Sell Fake Art to South Florida Gallery
March 12, 2020
Philip Righter of Los Angeles pleaded guilty to defrauding a South Florida art gallery by trying to sell forgeries of works by renowned contemporary artists.
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March 10, 2020
Philip Righter of West Hollywood has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges that he sold bogus art he claimed was created by famous artists.
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February 14, 2020
The FBI Art Crime Team announced today the repatriation of over 450 cultural and historical artifacts to the Republic of Haiti, marking the largest repatriation of art from the United State to Haiti to date.
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December 10, 2019
The United States has filed a civil complaint seeking the forfeiture of an Attic Etruscan votive statuette that was recovered by the FBI and HSI.
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November 18, 2019
The U.S. Attorney's Office announced the successful return of an item of cultural patrimony, a ceremonial war shield sacred to the Pueblo of Acoma.
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FBI Washington Field Office Art Crime Team Returns Ukrainian Painting Stolen During Nazi Rule
September 9, 2019
The FBI Washington Field Office’s Art Crime Team returned a Ukrainian painting stolen by the Nazis during World War II to the Embassy of Ukraine. Today, representatives of the Ukrainian Embassy, the Potomack Auction Company, and members of the Tracy family, and the United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, FBI International Operations Division and FBI Legal Attaché Kyiv, joined the FBI Washington Field Office for the repatriation of the stolen painting in a ceremony at…
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California Resident Charged in Scheme to Sell Forged Artworks in South Florida
August 7, 2019
Philip Righter of Los Angeles has been arrested on fraud and identity theft charges in connection with a scheme to sell forged artworks.
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FBI New York Art Crime Team Returns Vases Stolen During Nazi Rule in Germany
August 1, 2019
BERLIN, GERMANY—The FBI New York Art Crime Team returned two vases stolen by the Nazis during World War II from a widower who fled Germany after the rise of the Nazi party.
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April 2, 2019
Geoffrey S. Berman announced the return to its rightful owner of a painting looted by the Nazis during World War II.
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Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Action to Recover Ukrainian Painting Looted by Nazis
March 21, 2019
The FBI announced the filing of a civil forfeiture action seeking the return of a painting looted from a Kyiv museum in Nazi-controlled Ukraine.
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FBI Seeking Owners in Cultural Artifacts Case
February 27, 2019
The FBI's Art Crime Team is trying to identify the rightful owners of more than 7,000 artifacts seized in Indiana that came from locations spanning the globe.
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February 27, 2019
The FBI's Art Crime Team is seeking to identify the rightful owners of more than 7,000 artifacts recovered from an Indiana farm in 2014 that were taken from locations spanning the globe.
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February 7, 2019
A prominent New York gallery owner is spending time behind bars for his role in an elaborate scheme to defraud art dealers and collectors out of millions of dollars.
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December 21, 2018
A civil complaint has been filed for the forfeiture of a 1911 oil painting by Mikhail N. Panin, stolen during World War II, on the basis of the interstate transportation of stolen property and possession of stolen goods.
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October 19, 2018
Officials announced the filing of a civil forfeiture action seeking the return to its rightful owner of a painting looted by the Nazis during World War II.
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September 27, 2018
Ezra Chowaiki pled guilty to entering into false agreements with dealers and collectors to buy or sell artwork through a private gallery, then using the funds and artwork for unauthorized purposes.
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Manhattan U.S. Attorney and FBI Announce Return of Nazi Looted Renoir to Its Rightful Owner
September 12, 2018
The FBI announced the return to its rightful owner of a painting looted by the Nazis during World War II.
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FBI Recovers Stolen Ruby Slippers Used in ‘The Wizard of Oz’
September 4, 2018
A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and stolen from the actress’s namesake museum in Minnesota more than a decade ago has been recovered.
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September 4, 2018
A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and stolen from the actress’ namesake museum in Minnesota more than a decade ago has been recovered.
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Smithsonian Assists FBI in Minnesota Ruby Slippers Case
September 3, 2018
Conservators at the National Museum of American History assisted the Minneapolis Division of the FBI in the case of ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz that were stolen in Minnesota in 2005. The museum analyzed and compared the recovered slippers with a pair that has been part of the Smithsonian collection since 1979.
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August 28, 2018
Nael Ali was sentenced for violating the Indian Arts and Craft Act by fraudulently selling counterfeit Native American jewelry as Indian-Made.
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FBI Seeks Stolen Works of Art Worth More Than Half a Million Dollars
August 17, 2018
STATEN ISLAND, NY—The FBI Art Crime Team is seeking help from the public locating more than 30 items stolen from the home of Gregory Perillo in July, 1983. The pieces are sculptures and painted pictures, featuring southwestern motifs and scenes, and at the time of the theft were valued at up to $700,000.
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Manhattan U.S. Attorney and FBI Announce Recovery of Stolen Robert Motherwell Painting
July 12, 2018
Officials announced the return of a stolen painting, Untitled, created in 1967 by Robert Motherwell.
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May 25, 2018
The U.S. filed an asset forfeiture complaint against an ancient mosaic depicting Hercules, believed to have been made in the 3rd or 4th Century.
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West Virginia Man Sentenced on Fraud Charges
May 15, 2018
Todd Andrew Desper of Beckley was sentenced in a scheme in which he purported to sell paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
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Lynn Man Arrested in Connection with Missing Warhol Paintings
May 9, 2018
Brian R. Walshe of Lynn was arrested and charged in connection with taking and attempting to sell two Warhol paintings on eBay.
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May 3, 2018
Ezra Chowaiki pleaded guilty to defrauding art dealers and collectors out of millions of dollars.
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April 12, 2018
A 1911 painting by Marc Chagall stolen from an elderly couple’s Manhattan home in 1988 is being returned to the family’s estate after being hidden in a Maryland attic for nearly 30 years.
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April 12, 2018
The United States has filed a civil complaint seeking the forfeiture of an oil painting by Marc Chagall that was recovered by the FBI decades after it was stolen from collectors in New York. The United States intends to return the artwork to its rightful owners.
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Delaware Man Charged in Artifact Theft
March 14, 2018
Michael Rohana of Delaware was charged of theft of artwork, concealment from museum, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
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West Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges
February 15, 2018
Todd Andrew Desper of Beckley, West Virginia, pleaded guilty in a scheme to sell paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
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December 15, 2017
Ezra Chowaiki has been charged with fraud and transportation of stolen property.
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United States Seeks Warrant to Seize Ring Trafficked by ISIS
December 6, 2017
The U.S. is seeking a warrant to seize one of the antiquities trafficked by ISIS, a gold ring that was identified in its previously filed civil complaint.
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Document Thief Sentenced on Mail Fraud Charge
November 8, 2017
Daniel Witek of Buffalo, was sentenced to time served (six months) for mail fraud.
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October 5, 2017
The Norfolk Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in partnership with the Chrysler Museum of Art, will hold a free training event to educate the community about the FBI’s history, priorities, and ways corrupt practices are investigated.
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West Virginia Man Indicted on Fraud Charges Tied to Stolen Gardner Museum Paintings
July 20, 2017
Todd Desper of West Virginia was indicted in scheme to sell paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990, on Craigslist.
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Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen Artwork From Prominent New York Collection
July 20, 2017
Leon Zinder of Queens pleaded guilty to interstate sale of stolen property in theft and attempted sale of more than a dozen works of art.
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June 26, 2017
William C. Reed III of Rock Hall, Maryland was sentenced to 12 months in prison for stealing 40 pieces of art and bringing to New Jersey to sell.
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April 6, 2017
An art dealer who sold fake pieces based on bogus historic documents he created is behind bars for his fraud scheme, but many victims may still unknowingly own his phony works.
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Forty Years After Theft, Stolen Norman Rockwell Painting Recovered and Returned to Owners
March 31, 2017
A Norman Rockwell painting stolen more than 40 years ago has been recovered, announced Michael Harpster, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, and Timothy Carpenter, supervisory special agent with the FBI’s Art Crime Team.
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February 9, 2017
Five individuals were charged with violating the IACA by conspiring to import and sell Filipino-made jewelry as Native American-made.
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FBI New York Hosts Max Stern Heirs to Return Painting Forced-Sold More Than 80 Years Ago in Germany
February 8, 2017
FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McGarrity of the New York Field Office presented representatives of the Max and Iris Stern Foundation, to include beneficiary Concordia University, the painting Young Man As Bacchus by Jan Franse Verzijl (1599-1647) in a ceremony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
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Rare Notebooks Returned to Girard College Collection
January 18, 2017
Two rare early 19th century notebooks, that had been taken more than ten years ago, were returned to Girard College.
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December 15, 2016
The Department of Justice announced that the United States has filed a civil complaint seeking the forfeiture of multiple antiquities associated with ISIL.
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December 9, 2016
Leon Zinder was charged with the interstate sale of stolen property in connection with his theft and attempted sale of more than a dozen works of art.
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FBI New York Hosts Italian Carabinieri in Formal Ceremony to Return Roman Statue Stolen 33 Years Ago
December 7, 2016
FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McGarrity of the New York Field Office and Joon H. Kim, Deputy U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, formally presented the Torlonia Peplophoros statue to Generale di Brigata Fabrizio Parrulli of Italy’s Carabinieri in a ceremony today at the New York Historical Society Library.
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Manhattan Deputy U.S. Attorney Announces Return to Italy of Roman Statue Stolen in 1983
December 7, 2016
A Roman marble peplophoros statue stolen from the Villa Torlonia in Rome in 1983 was returned to Italy at a repatriation ceremony.
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Photo/Video Opportunity for Statue Repatriation Ceremony
December 6, 2016
Who: Michael McGarrity
Special Agent in Charge
FBI New York. Fabrizio Parrulli
Generale di Brigata
Comandante Carabinieri Tuetela Patrimonio Culturale. Joon H. Kim
Deputy U. S. Attorney
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Maryland Man Admits Stealing Works of Art And Selling Them In Southern New Jersey
October 26, 2016
A Rock Hall, Maryland man admitted stealing at least 40 pieces of art and bringing them to New Jersey to sell them.
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FBI Seeks Missing Norman Rockwell Painting Stolen 40 Years Ago Today
June 30, 2016
The FBI Art Crime Team and the Cherry Hill Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a stolen Norman Rockwell painting on the 40th anniversary of its theft. It was one of several items taken from a Cherry Hill, New Jersey home in a June 30, 1976 break-in.
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FBI Returns Darwin Letter to Smithsonian Archives
June 2, 2016
An 1875 handwritten letter by Charles Darwin that was stolen from the Smithsonian Institution Archives more than three decades ago was recovered by special agents on the FBI's Art Crime Team and returned to the care of the Smithsonian.
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FBI Recovers Stolen Charles Darwin Letter
June 2, 2016
Special agents from the FBI returned a recovered Charles Darwin letter to the Smithsonian Institution Archives, the FBI Washington Field Office announced. The letter, penned by the renowned naturalist and geologist in 1875, was stolen from the Smithsonian more than three decades ago.
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Reward Up to $25,000 for Recovery of Stolen Andy Warhol Paintings
April 11, 2016
The FBI announced today a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the recovery of artwork stolen from the Springfield Art Museum at 1111 East Brookside Dr. in Springfield, Missouri.
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March 4, 2016
Painting allegedly looted by Nazis in WWII was found in Ohio and returned to Poland.
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United States Seeks to Forfeit and Return a Roman Statue Stolen from the Villa Torlonia in 1983
February 25, 2016
Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Diego Rodriguez, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint against a Roman marble peplophoros statue (the “Torlonia Peplophoros”) stolen from the Villa Torlonia in Rome in 1983. The Torlonia Peplophoros had been sold in Manhattan in 2001 after being unlawfully brought into the United States in the late 1990s.
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Federal Grand Jury Criminal Indictments Announced
February 4, 2016
TULSA, Okla. — The results of the February 2016 Federal Grand Jury were announced today by Danny C. Williams Sr. , United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
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February 3, 2016
Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Diego Rodriguez, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the arrest of ERIC IAN HORNAK SPOUTZ, a/k/a “Robert Chad Smith,” a/k/a “John Goodman,” a/k/a “James Sinclair,” on charges of wire fraud in connection with the sale of dozens of forged artworks by renowned American artists, such as Willem De Kooning, Franz…
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December 16, 2015
A Chilean tapestry, the Bark Washington painting, and the Ames Stradivarius violin were returned to their rightful owners following the investigative work and partnerships of the FBI’s New York Art Crime Team.
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FBI Recovers All Six N.C. Wyeth Paintings
November 19, 2015
The FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, and the Portland Police Department are proud to announce the successful recovery of the remaining two N. C.
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Three New Mexicans Charged with Fraudulently Selling Filipino-Made Jewelry as Native American-Made
October 29, 2015
Three New Mexicans have been charged with violating the IACA by conspiring to import and fraudulently sell Filipino-made jewelry as Native American-made.
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October 1, 2015
On September 29, 2015, FBI New York’s Art Crime Team returned the Bark Washington painting to the Oysterponds Historical Society in Orient, New York, after it was stolen more than 14 years ago.
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