Art Crime News
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Nevada Man Pleads Guilty to Using Art Appraisal to Conceal Fraud
May 2, 2024
Michael Jon Schofield of Nevada pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, admitting he concealed wire fraud by emailing an art appraisal that misrepresented the art’s value.
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Twenty-Two Historic Artifacts Repatriated by the United States to the People of Okinawa
April 30, 2024
At a formal repatriation ceremony on Tuesday at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum in Naha, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Embassy of the United States in Tokyo returned 22 historic artifacts that were looted following the Battle of Okinawa and had been missing for almost 80 years.
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New York Woman Sentenced for Defacing Degas Sculpture Exhibit at the National Gallery of Art
April 26, 2024
Joanna Smith, of Brooklyn, New York, has been sentenced to 60 days in prison for the April 2023 defacement of an exhibit at the National Gallery of Art.
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Wilton Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Federal Prison for Operating Art Fraud Scheme
April 17, 2024
Nicholas P. Hatch of Wilton was sentenced to 14 months of imprisonment for selling counterfeit works of art.
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Historic Firearms Returned to Philadelphia Museum
April 10, 2024
The FBI and our partners recently helped recover stolen Revolutionary War-era U.S. firearms that were a part of a string of thefts in the 1960s and 1970s in Pennsylvania.
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FBI Boston Recovers and Returns 22 Historic Artifacts to Japan
March 15, 2024
The FBI Boston Division has recovered 22 historic artifacts that were looted following the Battle of Okinawa and has orchestrated their return to the Government of Japan, Okinawa Prefecture. These artifacts had been missing for almost 80 years.
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FBI Boston Recovers and Returns 22 Historic Artifacts to Okinawa, Japan
March 15, 2024
The Boston Division recovered 22 historic artifacts looted at the end of World War II and has orchestrated their return to Okinawa Prefecture in Japan.
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FBI Boston Special Agent Describes Return of Okinawan Artifacts
March 14, 2024
FBI Boston Special Agent Geoffrey Kelly, a member of the FBI Art Crime Team, describes how the FBI helped in the recovery and return of 22 artifacts believed to have been taken from Okinawa at the end of World War II. These artifacts had been missing for almost 80 years.
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Rare, Wrongfully Obtained Manuscript Returned to Peruvian Government
March 14, 2024
A rare sixteenth-century manuscript was repatriated to the Peruvian government at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
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Activists Charged in Red Powder Attack on U.S. Constitution at the U.S. Archives
March 1, 2024
Donald Zepeda of Maryland and Jackson Green of Utah were charged in a superseding indictment with an attack on the U.S. Constitution housed at the National Archives.
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Brian Walshe Sentenced for Scheme to Sell Counterfeit Warhol Paintings
February 20, 2024
Brian R. Walshe of Lynn was sentenced in connection with a years-long, multi-faceted art fraud scheme involving two purported Andy Warhol paintings.
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Lackawanna County Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Major Artworks and Sports Memorabilia
February 12, 2024
Dawn Trotta of Covington Township, Pennsylvania, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork.
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February 6, 2024
Jackson Green of Sandy, Utah, was taken into custody following an indictment charging him with damage to National Gallery of Art property.
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More Than 50 Years After Theft, Stolen John Opie Painting Recovered and Returned to Rightful Owner
January 26, 2024
An original John Opie painting believed to have been stolen by mobsters in July 1969 has been returned to its rightful owner after a two-year investigation by the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office.
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Hungarian Woman Sentenced for Fraud and Money Laundering for Selling Counterfeit Art
January 18, 2024
A Hungarian woman, Zsanett Nagy, was given a sentence of time served for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering.
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Activist Pleads Guilty to Defacing a Degas Exhibit at the National Gallery of Art
December 15, 2023
Joanna Smith of New York pleaded guilty to one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit.
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Missing Since World War II, Painting Repatriated to Bavarian Museum
October 19, 2023
The FBI’s Art Crime Team in Chicago returned the painting Landschaft italienischen Charakters (Landscape of Italian Character) by the Austrian painter Johann Franz Nepomuk Lauterer to its rightful owner.
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October 13, 2023
Terry Jon Martin of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to theft of major artwork, an object of cultural heritage from the care, custody, or control of a museum.
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Business Partner of Convicted Art Dealer Inigo Philbrick Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison
September 20, 2023
Robert Newland, the business partner of convicted art dealer Inigo Philbrick, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison.
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Wilton Man Admits Operating Art Fraud Scheme
August 8, 2023
Nicholas P. Hatch of Wilton pleaded guilty to a fraud offense stemming from a scheme involving the sale of counterfeit paintings.
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FBI Returns 16th-Century Letter from Spanish Conquistador to Mexican Government
July 20, 2023
After an investigation by the FBI Boston Division—in collaboration with our legal attaché office in Mexico City and our international partners—the FBI returned a letter signed by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés to the government of Mexico.
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June 21, 2023
Mohamad Yassin Alcharihi of Palmdale was found guilty by a jury of illegally importing an ancient floor mosaic depicting the Roman demigod Hercules.
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Nine Charged with Conspiracy to Steal Major Artworks and Sports Memorabilia
June 15, 2023
Nine individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork.
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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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Hawaii Couple Charged with Fraud and Money Laundering for Selling Counterfeit Art
January 17, 2023
Earl Marshawn Washington and his wife, Zsanett Nagy, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering.
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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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