Jason James Savedoff had an obsession with historical documents and folks like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. But it all seemed to center around money, not history.
The 24-year-old New Yorker pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Baltimore to stealing historical documents from museums in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut and selling them for a profit.
Authorities said the documents stolen contained the signatures of some notables like Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Franklin Roosevelt, John Adams, Marie Antoinette and Napoleon Bonaparter.
Authorities said Savedoff admitted that he and his co-conspirator prepared lists containing the names of historical figures and other noteworthy individuals, and made notations referencing the value of signatures and documents authored or signed by them.
Authorities said Savedoff, under the direction of his co-conspirator, conducted research — including on the internet — to identify collections containing valuable documents that were worthy of stealing.
Savedoff and his conspirator visited a number of museums posing as researchers and were able to steal the documents.
Some documents were concealed in sports coats and other outerwear that had hidden pockets.
