Stolen Philly Painting Prompts Rewardhttp://www.nbc10.com/news/16704697/detail.html
Artwork depicting one of the most picturesque views in Philadelphia has been stolen, and a reward is being offered for its safe return.
John A. Woodside is believed to be the artist who painted the famous Water Works picture, long before the Philadelphia Museum of Art stood behind it in the Fairmount section of the city.
Until Monday morning, the painting hung on the wall of the city's Park Services office at 16th and Arch streets.
But an employee noticed it was missing from its 10th Floor location at the beginning of the week, NBC 10's Mike Strug reported.
Janic Fedarcyk, special agent in charge of the Philadelphia FBI Office, said the federal agency is investigating the case and trying to located the painting, which is worth more than $70,000.
She said the FBI doesn't want the stolen painting to slip below the radar, so they are offering a $10,000 reward. The local office has a history of recovering stolen art; they have found $215 million worth in recent years.
Investigators did not say if surveillance cameras captured the robbery on tape.
John A. Woodside is believed to be the artist who painted the famous Water Works picture, long before the Philadelphia Museum of Art stood behind it in the Fairmount section of the city.
Until Monday morning, the painting hung on the wall of the city's Park Services office at 16th and Arch streets.
But an employee noticed it was missing from its 10th Floor location at the beginning of the week, NBC 10's Mike Strug reported.
Janic Fedarcyk, special agent in charge of the Philadelphia FBI Office, said the federal agency is investigating the case and trying to located the painting, which is worth more than $70,000.
She said the FBI doesn't want the stolen painting to slip below the radar, so they are offering a $10,000 reward. The local office has a history of recovering stolen art; they have found $215 million worth in recent years.
Investigators did not say if surveillance cameras captured the robbery on tape.
Art Hostage comments:
In the fullness of time this will go down as one of the dumbest crimes committed in Philly recently, why, because Philadelphia is home to the most pro-active FBI Art Crime team in America.
Also home to FBI Icon Robert Wittman.
Did you notice the value placed on this stolen artwork ?
$75,000, that's $5,000 over the amount needed for the FBI to involve itself in this investigation, a Bob Wittman touch to start the ball rolling.
Now the thieves are already being hotly pursued and I expect the painting to be recovered within 7 days safely intact because the FBI Art Crime Team reputation is on the line.
We see this added impetus with an immediate reward offer of $10,000.
O'h by the way, the true value of the artwork is closer to a million if it were to be offered for sale because of the cultural significance, but don't quote me as this is meant to be secret.
Memo to the Philly Steve Olsen, remember him the moron who stole the Goya ?
This John A. Woodside artwork is so radio-active the FBI will tear up the Philly Criminal Underworld looking for it so the best thing the thieves can do is take it to Uncle Joe Ligambi or one of his representatives and they will honestly hand it back to the people of Philadelphia.
The consequence for the thieves if they retain the artwork is the wrath of the Philly criminal underworld because of the extreme FBI heat applied to the Philly Underworld in pursuit of the stolen artwork.
The FBI Art Crime Team is the least of the thieves worries, so do yourself a favour and hand the stolen artwork to any associate of Uncle Joe Ligambi
You think I'm kidding ??
Well, let me tell you, when the Philly Criminal Underworld gets raided and loses money or contraband they will hold the John A. Woodside art thieves personally responsible.
So, in the future the story could be how the Philly art thieves were discovered in the Boon Docks !!
Finally, the choices at clear for the Philly art thieves, they can either hand the stolen artwork to Uncle Joe Ligambi or one of his associates, or they can contact the FBI Art Crime Team and tell them where they can collect the stolen artwork, following the recovery the reward will be paid in this instance because it will save any further embarrassment for the FBI Art Crime Team.
Failure to do either option within the next seven days will result in either arrest and conviction, or worse, at the hands of seriously pissed Philly Gangsters whose business has been disrupted by this foolish, dumb art theft.
Act now, you've been officially warned from both sides of the criminal divide !!
FBI Icon Bob Wittman Strikes Again as Florida Frenchie, Berny Ternus charged in '07 theft of art
Associated Press - June 27, 2008 10:34 AM ET
http://www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp?S=8564789
MIAMI (AP) - A French man is facing a U.S. indictment in Miami for involvement in the 2007 theft of 4 paintings from a museum in the French Riviera.
Federal prosecutors said Friday that 55-year-old Bernard Ternus is charged with conspiring to transport the stolen paintings. The paintings were stolen by masked gunman in August 2007 from a museum in Nice, France. They were works by Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley and Jan Brueghel the Elder.
The paintings were recovered earlier this month in France and others involved in the theft arrested.
Ternus was already in U.S. custody on a visa fraud charge. His attorney in that case did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
French man faces US charge in theft of paintings
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gHU_gLGGW6_wdjtvnGbBD-Q-TaYAD91IHGOG0
By CURT ANDERSON – 13 minutes ago
MIAMI (AP) — A French man allegedly involved in the theft of paintings by Claude Monet and two other artists has been charged in the U.S. with attempting to broker the sale of the stolen art to undercover FBI agents, federal prosecutors said Friday.
Bernard Jean Ternus, 55, was indicted by a grand jury on a single count of conspiring to sell the paintings stolen in August 2007 by masked gunmen from the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Nice, France, federal prosecutors said.
The paintings are Monet's "Cliffs Near Dieppe;" "The Lane of Poplars at Moret" by Alfred Sisley; and two works by Jan Brueghel the Elder: "Allegory of Earth" and "Allegory of Water."
All four were recovered in Marseilles, France, on June 4 after a deal was struck to sell them to the FBI undercover agents for 3 million euros, or about $4.7 million at current exchange rates. French national police arrested at least two other men when the art was found.
Ternus is a French citizen who lives in Cooper City, a suburb north of Miami, and several of the alleged meetings with the FBI agents took place in Miami, according to the indictment. Ternus was already in U.S. custody on a visa fraud charge. His lawyer in that case didn't immediately respond Friday to an e-mail seeking comment.
According to the indictment, Ternus first met with the FBI agents in October to begin negotiations for the sale of the paintings. Those talks continued for several months in Miami and other locations, including Barcelona, Spain.
The visa fraud charge involves Ternus' alleged failure to admit on a visa application that he had been arrested in the past. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents later determined that Ternus has been arrested at least seven times in France, accused of crimes ranging from breaking and entering to robbery to assault with a deadly weapon, according to court documents.
Art Hostage comments:
Backstory:
http://stolenvermeer.blogspot.com/2008/06/stolen-art-watch-fbi-sting-recovers.html
This Bernard Ternus guy was waiting on the cellphone in Florida pokey as FBI Icon Robert Wittman and French police swooped on the car that contained the stolen art in the South of France.
A slight whiff of a deal perhaps, ??????????????
The Informant is about to be outed, no not by Richard Armitage, someone else will get the Plame !!!!!!
More to come..............................................................
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