The final suspect in an alleged art theft ring surrendered himself to authorities in Scranton, PA on Monday. Nicholas Dombek was wanted for almost seven months.
After receiving a call from Dombek on Monday saying that he would like to turn himself in, his lawyer Ernie Preate escorted him to the Lackawanna County Prison, where is still in custody, reported the local news station WNEP.
Dombek was denied bail by a federal judge following a court appearance on Tuesday morning.
Dombek is one of nine people accused by federal authorities of involvement in a multi-state theft ring that stole sports memorabilia, art, and other valuables from 20 museums and stores across the East Coast and parts of the Midwest over the course of two decades. Three suspects already plead guilty for stealing Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock works last year. An additional fourth suspect also pleaded guilty shortly thereafter.
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The stolen artworks include Warhol’s 1984 screenprint Le Grande Passion and Pollock’s vibrant blue 1949 painting Springs Winter, taken from the Everhart Museum in 2005; and the painting Upper Hudson by Jasper Cropsey, taken from the Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey in 2011. The suspects are also accused of stealing more than $1 million in memorabilia from the Yogi Berra Museum, including nine World Series rings; six championship belts from the International Boxing Hall of Fame; more than 30 golf and horse racing trophies; a Tiffany lamp; $400,000 in gold nuggets; and four firearms worth a combined $1 million.
Until now, Dombek was the last remaining suspect to turn himself in.