Member of a theft ring that stole works by Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock gets 8-year sentence
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man who was part of a group that stole paintings by Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock among other valuables was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to theft of major artwork.
Thomas Trotta, 49, of Dunmore, is the fourth person sentenced as part of the investigation into thefts that took place over more than two decades at 20 museums, stores and institutions. World Series rings that once belonged to baseball great Yogi Berra were among the stolen items.
Trotta was directed to pay $2.8 million in restitution as part of his sentencing Thursday. A message seeking comment was left Friday for his defense attorney.
Three men convicted of related crimes earlier this year await sentencing; their lawyers declined comment or did not respond to messages seeking comment Friday.
Many of the stolen artworks and other material remains unknown, federal prosecutors said Friday. The thefts occurred in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Dakota and Washington, D.C.
Trotta admitted to stealing the Warhol silkscreen 'Le Grande Passion' and Pollock's 1949 oil-on-canvas painting 'Springs Winter' from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 2005, prosecutors said. In that theft, the thieves were apparently aided by a large tent covering the back entrance for an event as they shattered a glass door. The Pollock painting was estimated in 2023 to have been worth nearly $12 million.
'Springs Winter' had been on loan to the museum from a private collector. 'Le Grande Passion,″ owned by the museum, was created in 1984 on commission for an ad campaign for Grand Passion cognac. An official at the museum said Friday those works have not been recovered.
Prosecutors said Trotta also admitted to stealing rings and MVP plaques worth a collective $500,000 from the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Little Falls, New Jersey. He was also implicated in the theft of a Tiffany lamp, boxing and horse racing items, and items linked to baseball slugger Roger Maris and golf legend Ben Hogan.
Berra's rings are thought to have been melted down and sold for far less than they were worth as baseball memorabilia. Gold nuggets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars were taken from Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, New Jersey.
'Upper Hudson,' an 1871 painting by Jasper Cropsey estimated to be worth $100,000 or more, was apparently burned in an effort to conceal the crime, according to the U.S. attorney's office. It was taken in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey.
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Trump told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, Sunday that there were 'violent people' in Los Angeles 'and they're not gonna get away with it.' Asked if he planned to send U.S. troops to Los Angeles , Trump replied: 'We're gonna have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country.' He didn't elaborate. About 500 Marines stationed at Twentynine Palms, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) east of Los Angeles were in a 'prepared to deploy status' Sunday afternoon, according to the U.S. Northern Command. ___ Offenhartz reported from New York. Associated Press writer Michelle Price contributed to this report from Bridgewater, New Jersey. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . 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A 1,500 year old Byzantine tomb complex is discovered in Syria
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