In a surprising turn of events, missing artworks by renowned artists Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock, which were part of a 20-year crime ring involving multiple museums, may still be intact, contrary to previous assumptions that many of the stolen items had been destroyed. The recent update follows the announcement by the US Attorney’s office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania that nine individuals had been charged with conspiring to break into 20 museums and other institutions, resulting in the theft of millions of dollars’ worth of artwork, sports memorabilia, antique firearms, and other items.
Federal prosecutors have informed officials at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, that one of the defendants may have encountered Warhol’s screen print titled “La Grande Passion” within the past two to three years. However, the veracity of this statement could not be confirmed by investigators, according to Charles Barber, the interim executive director of the museum.
On June 15, the US attorney’s office announced the indictment of four out of the nine individuals by a federal grand jury. The charges include conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment or disposal of objects of cultural heritage, and interstate transportation of stolen property. The four indicted men, Nicholas Dombek, Damien Boland, Alfred Atsus, and Joseph Atsus, all in their 40s and 50s, hail from various parts of Pennsylvania.
While eight of the nine men have turned themselves in, Dombek, who did not surrender, has also been charged with interstate transportation of stolen property.
The stolen items, in addition to Warhol’s “La Grande Passion,” include Pollock’s vibrant blue 1949 painting “Springs Winter,” which was taken from the Everhart Museum in 2005. Other stolen artworks and items consist of Jasper Cropsey’s painting “Upper Hudson,” stolen from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey in 2011; over $1 million in memorabilia from the Yogi Berra Museum, including nine World Series rings; six championship belts from the International Boxing Hall of Fame; more than 30 golf and horse racing trophies; a Tiffany lamp; $400,000 worth of gold nuggets; and four firearms with a combined value of $1 million.
According to prosecutors, the nine suspects managed to evade capture and primarily targeted small museums between 1999 and 2019 across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and North Dakota. Notably, they even returned to steal from the Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, first in 2006 and again in 2018.
Unfortunately, the recovery prospects for many of the stolen items appear bleak. The indictment alleges that Dombek burned Pollock’s “Upper Hudson,” estimated to be worth $500,000, to eliminate the possibility of it being used as evidence against the members of the crime ring. Additionally, the indictment states that after transporting the stolen memorabilia back to Northeastern Pennsylvania, often to Dombek’s residence, the items, including the championship rings, were melted down into discs or bars and sold to individuals in New York City.
Expressing their sentiments, Charles Barber of the Everhart Museum remarked, “After all these years, we are heartened by the identification, capture, and (hopefully) prosecution of the nine defendants. But we are deeply saddened by the evident destruction and loss of many of the pieces. Items of huge historic importance were melted down for mere precious metal value—pennies on the dollar of their value to our culture and community. The Everhart is dedicated to the preservation and protection of precious art and historical items. These thieves have proven to be the antithesis of that philosophy with their wanton destructions.”In 2006, The New York Times reported that “Springs Winter,” the stolen Pollock painting, was not insured, had never been authenticated, and was not included in a catalogue raisonné featuring all of Pollock’s paintings. This lack of official documentation further complicates the recovery process.
As the investigations unfold, the stolen Warhol and Pollock artworks stand as poignant reminders of the ongoing challenges faced in preserving and protecting the artistic and cultural legacies that enrich our societies.
Feature Image: The Everhart Museum in Scranton, PA, where two of the thefts took place. Courtesy: wiki
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