By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Terrorism. Bank robberies. Government corruption.
They are among the key responsibilities of the FBI.
But the bureau has been gaining more attention for investigating crimes involving art.
Launched in 2005, the FBI’s 22-person Art Crime Team has grabbed headlines in the past few years for solving high-profile cases and recovering valuable pieces of art.
Just last year, the team of agents recovered a pair of “ruby slippers” worn by Judy Garland in “Wizard of Oz,” artwork looted by Nazis and a Marc Chagall painting stolen from an elderly couple’s Manhattan home nearly three decades ago.
“People just think what we’re doing is cool,” Supervisory Special Agent Tim Carpenter, who now runs the unit from the FBI’s Washington headquarters, told Reuters.
“I think we’ve changed a lot of perceptions, even within the organization,” he said. “So now my phone rings off the hook weekly for folks wanting to be on the team.”
Since its creation 14 years ago, the team has tracked down nearly 15,000 pieces of art valued at $800 million. More than 90 people have been convicted of art-related crimes during that period.
