NEW YORK – A New York antiquities dealer has been arrested on charges she sold stolen artifacts from international smugglers by creating sham documents to hide their history.
Prosecutors say Nancy Wiener was arrested Wednesday on charges of criminal possession of stolen property and conspiracy. They say she's been trafficking in illegal antiquities since 1999.
Her lawyer, Georges Lederman, told The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/2hVapLY ) his client "surrendered voluntarily" and will respond at an appropriate time.
Prosecutors say that when her mother, also a dealer, died she inherited hundreds of illicit items at their gallery and arraigned inaccurate ownership histories. Christie's then auctioned them off for $12.8 million.
In another example, prosecutors say Wiener purchased a stolen bronze Buddha and was displaying it in her gallery when authorities seized it in March.
___
Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
