US billionaire surrenders $70m of stolen art

[Omaha Steve]

Source: The Guardian

By Dalya Alberge

An American hedge-fund billionaire has surrendered 180 looted and illegally smuggled antiquities valued at $70m and been handed an unprecedented lifetime ban on acquiring other relics as part of an agreement with the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

Michael Steinhardt, one of the world’s largest collectors of ancient art, “displayed a rapacious appetite for plundered artefacts”, the district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr said on Monday.

The lifetime ban marks the dramatic culmination of an international investigation that began officially in 2017.

The DA’s office said its inquiry found “compelling evidence” that the antiquities were stolen from 11 countries, and that at least 171 passed through traffickers before being bought by Steinhardt.



Michael Steinhardt, pictured in 2013, has been banned from acquiring other relics for life as part of an agreement with the Manhattan district attorney’s office. Photograph: Natan Dvir/Polaris/eyevine


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/07/us-billionaire-michael-steinhardt-surrenders-70m-dollars-stolen-art

[montanacowboy]

1. I am so happy to know that

Cy Vance is busy laboring on behalf of the American people to bring art crooks to justice. Others, not so fucking much.

[Haggard Celine]

4. Exactly what I was thinking.

How long has he been 'investigating' Trump?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. What a guy

[packman]

3. I guess he played his "Get out of Jail" card

Next: Man who robbed banks given stiff ban to stay out of banks

[IcyPeas]

5. another day.... another billionaire crook.... who'd a thunk it?

[not fooled]

6. The apex of capitalism

turns out to be not so great.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

7. Are those porcupine quills?

[The Unmitigated Gall]

11. Ancient Sumerian porcupine quills, I guess.

[tikka]

9. Another fine example of the two-tier American justice system

[NCjack]

10. No charges for Mr. Steinhardt! He got away with the crimes and is all smiles.

[oasis]

12. News flash: Jail is for poor folks.

But then, you already knew that.

[Grins]

13. Banned from owing $70M works of stolen art...!!!

Is he white…? ‘Cuz, ya’ know…

[ck4829]

14. Kick

[CTyankee]

15. The problem with stealling art.

You can't monetize them. Yeah, they might be worth a gazilion bucks but if you can't sell them, you are screwed. It's why art ends up in a locker at a train station, the cops are tipped off, and the loot is restored to the owner.

[Samrob]

16. Just finished watching "Conspiracy" (Netflix). Docu on unproven conspiracy theories.

This guy gives substance to one of the episodes about stolen artifacts. There is also a lot of gold unaccounted for per one of these episodes...missing since the '40s.

Just makes one think, "just how did some of these people get so wealthy?"