Stolen Art Recovered

More than 2,000 artworks stolen from a Van Nuys art dealership have been recovered and police said Tuesday the robbery appeared to be the work of thieves using “inside information.”

“There are many circumstances surrounding the crime itself that indicate that somebody knew what was going on there--like who would be there, and what would be available to be taken,” said Los Angeles Police Detective Lou Boozell.

Boozell said detectives are exploring, among other theories, the possibility that the theft of three original oil paintings by Spanish painter Ramon Lombarte and more than 2,000 serigraphs and lithographs from Eagle Limited was staged to collect insurance on the stolen works.

He said most or all of the artworks and a van missing from the warehouse and distribution agency near Van Nuys Airport had been found outside Los Angeles County, but he would not say where or give other details.

Despite the discovery, investigators do not have enough evidence to make any arrests, he said. He did not name any suspects or rule out the possibility that it was a conventional robbery.

Two of the three owners of Eagle Limited have taken lie-detector tests, but the third, Robert Silver, 44, has so far refused on the advice of an attorney, Boozell said.

Silver’s attorney, Andrew Good of Boston, said his client had “nothing to do with the theft except to be a victim.” Good said Silver has been interviewed repeatedly by police and insurance investigators, but is reluctant to take a polygraph test because it is a “highly unreliable instrument.”

“Mr. Silver is as much a victim of this crime as anyone is. The whole polygraph question is a red herring,” Good said. “The notion that Mr. Silver is not cooperating with the investigation is absolutely false.”

It was Silver who was discovered by police tied up and taped to a chair in the warehouse on the night of the robbery.

Silver, a Boston-area resident, visited the gallery on an irregular basis every four to six weeks to review the company’s financial records, Boozell said.

Silver told authorities that he was at the dealership doing paper work when a masked gunman burst in about 8 p.m., tied him to the chair, took his Rolex watch and wallet, loaded the artworks into the company van, and fled.

Though he saw only one man, Silver reported hearing voices indicating there was more than one robber. Silver said he dialed 911 with his toes.

Investigators were initially puzzled by the crime because they said it would be difficult for the robbers to find outlets to sell such a large number of lithographs and serigraphs by Lombarte, Sonya Fe of Los Angeles and Roberto Chichorro of Mozambique.

Boozell said Tuesday that he did not know how much insurance money the gallery could have collected from the loss of the artworks. He said the company was in debt, but declined to say by how much or whether he considers the debt a motive for the crime.

At Eagle Limited, employees busy preparing for a show of Lombarte’s works at a San Diego gallery were pleased to learn of the recovery of the stolen works.