Ancient Art Collector Surrenders 180 Stolen Antiquities Valued at $70M: Manhattan DA

One of the world's largest ancient art collectors has surrendered 180 stolen antiquities valued at $70 million and received a lifetime ban on acquiring antiquities following a multi-year and multi-national investigation, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr. announced Monday.

According to prosecutors, the antiquities obtained by Michael Steinhardt, were looted and illegally smuggled out of 11 countries, trafficked by 12 criminal smuggling networks.

“For decades, Michael Steinhardt displayed a rapacious appetite for plundered artifacts without concern for the legality of his actions, the legitimacy of the pieces he bought and sold, or the grievous cultural damage he wrought across the globe,” Vance said in his statement. “His pursuit of ‘new’ additions to showcase and sell knew no geographic or moral boundaries, as reflected in the sprawling underworld of antiquities traffickers, crime bosses, money launderers, and tomb raiders he relied upon to expand his collection."

According to the agreement between prosecutors and Steinhardt, 180 pieces will be returned to their rightful owners in 11 countries rather than be held as evidence for the years necessary to complete the grand-jury indictment, trial, potential conviction, and sentence.

Court documents say that the criminal investigation into Steinhardt began in February 2017. While investigating the Bull’s Head stolen from Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office determined Steinhardt had purchased the multi-million-dollar statue then subsequently loaned it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Months after seizing the piece, Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced the formation of its Antiquities Trafficking Unit.

In the process of uncovering the Lebanese statue, prosecutors allegedly learned that Steinhardt possessed additional looted antiquities at his apartment. Prosecutors subsequently initiated a grand jury criminal investigation into his acquisition, possession, and sale of more than 1,000 antiquities since at least 1987.

Prosecutors subsequently executed 17 search warrants and conducted joint investigations with law-enforcement authorities in 11 countries: Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Turkey.

Prior to Steinhardt's purchase, 171 of the 180 seized antiquities first surfaced in the possession of individuals who authorities later determined to be antiquities traffickers—some of whom have been convicted of antiquities trafficking. Prosecutors added that numerous of the seized antiquities were trafficked following civil unrest or looting.

“Steinhardt viewed these precious artifacts as simple commodities – things to collect and own. He failed to respect that these treasures represent the heritage of cultures around the world from which these items were looted, often during times of strife and unrest,” said HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel.

According to Vance, the agreement with Steinhardt also allows the district attorney's office to maintain witness identities private.

"This resolution also enables my Office to shield the identity of the many witnesses here and abroad whose names would be released at any trial, to protect the integrity of parallel investigations in each of the 11 countries with whom we are conducting joint investigations, and to avoid over-burdening resource-scarce nations who would be called upon to provide witnesses in any grand jury or trial. Finally, this agreement establishes that Steinhardt will be subject to an unprecedented lifetime ban on acquiring antiquities," Vance said.

Attorney information for Steinhardt was not immediately known.