Latest news with #arttheft
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
2 county employees caught on camera stealing over $50,000 worth of artwork at PortMiami, sheriff's office says
Two PortMiami employees were arrested this week after they were caught on camera stealing over $50,000 of art, the sheriff's office said. On Thursday morning, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said it had arrested and charged 27-year-old Angel Prudhomme and 50-year-old Tangela Park with second-degree grand theft. Arrest documents revealed that Park is also facing a criminal mischief charge. According to MDSO, both Prudhomme and Park were county employees assigned to PortMiami as custodial workers. "As Sheriff of Miami-Dade County, I take individuals using their employment to steal very seriously," said Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rose Cordero-Stutz. "I am committed to ensuring that anyone involved in dishonest actions will be held accountable." A tip received by public corruption investigators led to the arrests Last Friday, Public Corruption Section investigators with MDSO's Internal Affairs Office were notified by port authorities of a possible art theft inside one of the terminals. Detectives then met with port authorities and reviewed surveillance video, which showed two PortMiami workers removing artwork from the terminal, loading it into their vehicles and leaving the port with it. During the investigation, Prudhomme was identified as one of the employees caught on camera, where he was seen removing artwork from the walls inside Terminal G on May 12 and concealing it in a stairwell. According to arrest documents, he was also seen concealing mosaic and marble pieces of art inside trash cans and bags while trying to avoid security cameras. The following day, Prudhomme was seen taking the art and putting it into Park's vehicle. Public Corruption Section detectives then took over the investigation and with the assistance of the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, they obtained warrants for Prudhomme and Park's arrests. According to arrest documents, 12 of the 24 pieces were damaged by the "improper removal and transportation" of the artwork and were left at the terminal. These items were later recovered by the Sea Port General Investigations unit. After receiving consent to a search, the other 12 pieces were found on Wednesday at Prudhomme's home and vehicle, where they were also found to be damaged. According to MDSO, the art collection manager said the artwork was last appraised at around $50,000. After being told their Miranda rights, Prudhomme and Park admitted to removing the artwork before being taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center for booking.
Sky News
5 days ago
- General
- Sky News
Man who stole iconic portrait of Winston Churchill from hotel is jailed
A man who stole an iconic wartime portrait of Sir Winston Churchill from a hotel has been jailed for nearly two years, according to media reports in Canada. Police said the "Roaring Lion" portrait - which appears on the UK's £5 note - was stolen from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa in Canada sometime between Christmas Day 2021 and 6 January 2022. It was replaced with a fake and the swap was only uncovered in August 2022 when a hotel worker noticed the frame was not hung properly and looked different from the others. The portrait had been sold through an auction house in London to a private buyer and ended up in Rome, where two Canadian police detectives retrieved it. Both seller and buyer were unaware that it had been stolen, police said. Jeffrey Wood, from Ontario, was later arrested and admitted stealing the portrait, committing forgery and trafficking property obtained by crime in March, according to CBC News. He was sentenced to "two years less a day" in prison at Ottawa Courthouse on Monday. In Canada, a sentence of less than two years is served in a provincial jail, while sentences of more than two years are served in a federal prison. The judge reportedly told Wood he was guilty of stealing a "cultural and historical" portrait that was a "point of national pride". Justice Robert Wadden also told the court Wood said he had committed the crime to find money to help his brother, who was experiencing mental health struggles, CTV News reported. The investigation by police in Ottawa had reportedly spanned several countries across two continents before Wood's arrest. 'Roaring Lion' back in its rightful place The famous portrait was captured by renowned Armenian-Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh in 1941 just after Sir Winston delivered a rousing wartime address to Canadian politicians. Towards the end of his life, Mr Karsh signed and gifted the portrait to the hotel, where he had lived and worked. The portrait was returned to the hotel in November after it surfaced in Italy. Genevieve Dumas, the hotel's general manager, said when it was unveiled: "I can tell you that it is armed, locked, secured.
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Churchill photo thief sentenced to two years in Canadian jail
A Canadian man has been sentenced to almost two years in prison for stealing a famous photograph of Winston Churchill known as "The Roaring Lion".Jeffrey Wood had pleaded guilty to stealing the original print from Ottawa's Château Laurier hotel between Christmas 2021 and early January 2022. He also admitted committing photo of Britain's war-time prime minister, taken by Yousuf Karsh in 1941, features on the UK £5 Police said it was found last year in Genoa, Italy in the possession of a private buyer, who was unaware it was stolen. The image depicts a frowning Churchill, who was 67 at the time, shortly after he delivered a speech to the Canadian parliament. It wasn't until August 2022 that a hotel staff member realised the original photo had been replaced with a to Canadian media, Wood said he took the photo to find money for his brother, who was suffering from mental health issues. During sentencing, Justice Robert Wadden said: "It is a point of national pride that a portrait taken by a Canadian photographer would have achieved such fame.""There is an element of trust in our society that allows such properties to be displayed, to be enjoyed by all Canadians. To steal, damage and traffic in such property is to breach that trust," he added."We're very happy to see that Canadian history is recognised," said Geneviève Dumas, the general manager of the Château Laurier hotel, according to the Canadian Broadcasting was sentenced to "two years less a day", a distinction which means he will serve his sentence in a provincial institution instead of a federal lawyer representing Wood said the sentence was "unnecessarily harsh" given that he was a first-time offender.
National Post
6 days ago
- National Post
Churchill portrait thief sentenced to two years less a day in jail
OTTAWA — The Ontario man who pleaded guilty to stealing an iconic portrait of former British prime minister Winston Churchill said he committed the crime to find money to help his brother, who was experiencing mental health struggles, Justice Robert Wadden told the court during a sentencing hearing Monday. Article content Article content Jeffrey Wood kept his composure in the courtroom as Wadden told him he was being sentenced to two years less a day in jail. Article content Article content Wood admitted earlier this year that he stole the portrait from Ottawa's Chateau Laurier hotel and committed forgery. Article content Article content Renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh snapped the celebrated portrait in 1941 in the Speaker's office just after Churchill delivered a rousing wartime address to Canadian members of Parliament. Article content Karsh lived in the hotel, and operated a studio out of it, for almost two decades. He donated the Churchill portrait and six others to the hotel in 1998, when he moved out. Article content Police said the portrait was stolen from the hotel sometime between Christmas Day 2021 and Jan. 6, 2022, and replaced with a fake. Article content The swap was only discovered months later, in August, when a hotel worker noticed the frame was not hung properly. Article content The portrait was returned to the hotel after a lengthy international investigation determined it was bought at an auction in London by an Italian man who was not aware it was stolen. Article content During the sentencing hearing Monday, Wadden said Wood planned to use the money he received from selling the portrait to help his brother. Article content Article content Article content Article content Wadden said it was tricky to determine just how long Wood should serve for the crime because there is a lack of case law on similar art thefts in Canada. Article content Instead of focusing on a few domestic cases mentioned by the Crown, Wadden said he took into account international cases presented to him to help decide on the best approach. Article content Wadden said that Wood had no previous criminal record and maintained employment throughout his adulthood. Still, Wood did not help police recover the portrait, and when it was finally brought back to Canada it was damaged, Wadden said. Article content The Italian buyer forfeited the portrait when he learned it was stolen. Had he not done so, Wadden said, a major artifact of Canadian history would be lost forever. Article content 'The portrait is a reminder of the importance not just of Churchill, but of Karsh. It is a point of national pride that a portrait taken by a Canadian photographer would have achieved such fame,' Wadden said. 'There is an element of trust in our society that allows such properties to be displayed, to be enjoyed by all Canadians. To steal, damage and traffic in such property is to breach that trust.'
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Sentencing expected in case of stolen Winston Churchill portrait in Ottawa
Jeffrey Wood, centre, arrives at the Ottawa courthouse alongside Lawrence Greenspon, right, and Hannah Drennan for a hearing in Ottawa, on Friday, March 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Tanouye OTTAWA — The Ontario man who pleaded guilty to stealing an iconic portrait of former British prime minister Winston Churchill from Ottawa's Chateau Laurier is expected to be sentenced today in court. Jeffrey Wood entered his plea earlier this year, admitting to stealing the portrait and to knowingly committing forgery by making a false document. Renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh snapped the iconic portrait in 1941 in the Speaker's office just after Churchill delivered a rousing wartime address to Canadian lawmakers. Police said the portrait was stolen from the hotel sometime between Christmas Day 2021 and Jan. 6, 2022, and replaced with a fake. The swap was only discovered months later, in August, when a hotel worker noticed the frame was not hung properly. The portrait's return to the hotel followed a lengthy international investigation, with police determining it was bought at an auction in London by an Italian man who was unaware it was stolen. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
