Myles Connor, the Boston man who stole a Rembrandt from a museum in the 1980s, told ABC News that the suspects in last week’s Louvre heist pulled off one of the most valuable museum robberies in history — but have a slim path to turning the works into cash.
Connor said the safest option for the thieves, if they hope to profit, would be to hold the paintings for several years and then use an intermediary to open negotiations with the museum. “The best that they can do if they want to make any money out of them would be to hang on to them for a few years and then have somebody approach the museum, let’s say, an attorney, and say, ‘Listen, I’ve got these guys that might be able to recover them, but they’re putting their life in danger,’” he said.
He estimated that tactic could prompt a reward of as much as $5 million a sum that would still be far below the public headline value of the stolen works but could provide a payday for the perpetrators.
Connor’s own case provides a cautionary template. In the 1980s he stole a Rembrandt from a Boston museum, then used the painting as leverage to negotiate his way out of charges. His friend eventually returned the work, and Connor accepted a $50,000 reward.
The comments underscore the difficulty criminals face in monetizing highly recognizable masterpieces: museums and law enforcement are unlikely to pay full value, and any attempt to sell famous works on the open market would attract immediate scrutiny.
