[MSN] Insider theft: New York History Stolen, Sold For Profit, Prosecutors Charge State Employee

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New York History Stolen, Sold For Profit, Prosecutors Charge State Employee
Feb 5th, 2008
By
Andrea Valluzzo


An 1835 edition of Davy Crockett's Almanac was stolen from the state library
and sold to a collector:
http://antiquesandthearts.com/Antiques/StolenItems/2008-02-05__12-16-38.html

Albany, N.Y. :Charged with safekeeping New York State's most historic
documents, a state employee is now charged with using his position to pilfer
the state library's archives and stealing hundreds of documents, some of
which he allegedly sold during online auctions and at trade shows.

Arrested on January 28, Daniel D. Lorello, 54, of Rensselaer, N.Y., is an
archives and records management specialist with the Office of Cultural
Education in the Department of Education, of which the New York State
Library is part. He began work there in 1979.

Lorello was charged with third-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal
possession of stolen property and first-degree scheme to defraud, all
felonies, according to Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo.

Cuomo credited a Richmond, Va., lawyer with tipping off authorities and
presented a certificate of appreciation to the collector that recognized and
reported one of the thefts.

Virginia attorney Joseph Romito is a history buff with a keen interest in
the nation's seventh Vice President, John C. Calhoun. While searching
Calhoun's name at online auction house eBay on January 16, Romito spied an
auction listing for a letter written by Calhoun when he was Secretary of War
to Colonel Charles Hanes. The 1823 letter sought Hanes' support for
Calhoun's presidential aspirations. The political content of the letter
intrigued Romito, who read it through and recalled having read it elsewhere.

This John C. Calhoun letter that was offered in an online auction led to the
arrest of a state archivist:
http://antiquesandthearts.com/Antiques/StolenItems/2008-02-05__12-16-38.html

Finding the letter in a volume of the collected papers of Calhoun on his
bookshelf, he discovered that the letter in the book was identical to the
one being offered in the auction, right down to the same misspellings. The
letter was cited as property of the New York State Library, and he knew
something was not right.

"I thought 'Why would the state library relinquish this?' Our libraries are
repositories where things go and they stay there forever for all to use,"
said Romito.

He alerted the library the following day and as bidding progressed on the
item, Romito jumped into the fray, bidding himself to make sure a piece of
history was not lost, as well as phoning the library again the next week in
the final hours of the auction. Unbeknownst to him, the government had
already sped into action and was not only monitoring the auction but was
also bidding, ultimately winning the letter for more than $1,700, the
Attorney General's office said,

Lorello also sold two Davy Crocket Almanacs, from 1835 and 1837, both to the
same collector, for more than $5,000 in total, Executive Deputy Attorney
Deputy General Robin Baker said.

In a signed confession, Lorello said his thefts began in 2002 to pay credit
card debts or to fund improvements to his home. He stole 300-400 items last
year alone, knowing that the library planned to install security cameras, he
said.

AG investigators recovered more than a dozen boxes filled with hundreds of
documents from Lorello's home. Investigators believe this constitutes the
bulk of the items he stole; however, the agency is compiling an inventory to
identify all the stolen documents.

Currier & Ives' "View From Fort Putnam" was one of the stolen items:
http://antiquesandthearts.com/Antiques/StolenItems/2008-02-05__12-16-38.html

Lorello estimated most of the items he took were valued at less than $1,000.
Civil War memorabilia figured prominently among the stolen items, but there
were also Roosevelt letters, war posters as well as Currier & Ives works
including a lithograph of "View at Fort Putnam."

"Any theft of a historical document is reprehensible. It has the effect of
erasing a page in history. A free nation must have access to its history,
must have access to its documents," said State Education Commissioner
Richard P. Mills, who announced research library experts would be consulted
to strengthen the library's security procedures.

The Attorney General's office, which is prosecuting the case, is working
with eBay to get sales reports from Lorello's auctions to recover other
stolen items, most of which reportedly had the New York State Library seal
on them.

Cuomo implored collectors to review their documents for items with this seal
and contact his office. Lorello was arraigned on January 28, and released on
his own recognizance. He is to appear in court February 11.
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