The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania recently announced the conviction of three members of a multi-heist art theft ring that stole sports memorabilia, art, and other valuable items from 20 museums and stores over the course of two decades.
Nicholas Dombek, 54, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania; Damien Boland, 48, of Moscow, Pennsylvania; and Joseph Atsus, 48, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania, were convicted on February 7. Their charges included conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
The three individuals were also convicted of “multiple related substantive offense” after a four-week jury trial.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, the stolen items included Le Grande Passion by Andy Warhol and Springs Winter by Jackson Pollock, both stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and a $500,000 Jasper Cropsey painting that was taken in 2011 from Ringwood Manner in New Jersey. The ring also stole World Series rings, championship belts, trophies, and other objects.
Five additional co-conspirators in the art theft ring pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Former co-defendant Alfred Atsus was acquitted of the three counts against him at trial.
Last January, Dombek surrendered himself to authorities in Scranton after being pursued for almost seven months. He was was denied bail by a federal judge following a court appearance.
After the members of the ring stole the targeted items, they would transport the stolen goods back to northeastern Pennsylvania, often to the residence of Dombek, and melt the memorabilia down into easily transportable metal discs or bars. The conspirators would then sell the raw metal to fences (resellers who knowingly buy stolen goods to resell them for profit) in the New York City area for hundreds or a few thousands of dollars, far less than what the items were worth.
At one point, Dombek burned the Cropsey painting, Upper Hudson, to avoid it being recovered by investigators and used as evidence against the members of the art theft ring. The press statement from the US Attorney’s office also noted that the “whereabouts of many of the other paintings and stolen objects are currently unknown.”
Sentencing for Dombek, Boland, and Atsus has not yet scheduled. The three defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy conviction, 10 years in prison for each additional count of conviction, and a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
The news was first reported by the New York Times.
