These two men are wearing coats with special pockets designed to hide and steal documents.
Barry Landau and Jason Savedoff posed as researchers in order to steal documents from archives, including the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York.
On Thursday, March 7, Mitch Yockelson of the Archival Recovery Team and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Warwick will discuss the Landau case.
during the investigatioitems were seized as evidence, including priceless documents in the hand of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Sir Isaac Newton, and Charles Dickens
Landau was sentenced seven years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and theft of historical documents from cultural institutions in four states. Savedoff was sentenced to a year in prison.
For More Information:
Wright Brothers’ Flying Machine Patent, missing from the National Archives
December 17 is the anniversary of the Wright Brother’s historic first flight in 1903. For most, it’s a day to celebrate a pivotal milestone in aviation history. But here at the National Archives and at other archives, libraries, and museums it’s a reminder of the threat that cultural institutions face on a daily basis. The patent for the Wright Flyer is missing—presumed stolen—last seen in 1979, and it’s not the only item missing.
When such records are stolen —sometimes for resale on web auction sites— our shared history is lost and our ability to maintain accountability in our government is lessened. Together, with your help, we can return our cultural heritage to its rightful place.
For More Information:
- Help the National Archives Recover Lost & Stolen Documents
- US National Archives Archival Recovery Team on Facebook
via the AOTUS Blog: The Impact of Theft
