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In this episode, retired agent Geoffrey Kelly reviews his investigation of Robert Mardirosian for possession of stolen art and the recovery, over 30 years after the crime occurred, of a Paul Cézanne painting valued at $29 million and other artwork stolen during the largest residential burglary in U.S. history.
Mardirosian was convicted at trial in Boston and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Geoff also talks about the FBI’s elite Art Crime Team.
Special Agent (Retired)
Geoffrey Kelly
/1996 – 5/2024
Geoffrey Kelly served in the FBI for 28 years.
He was assigned to a violent crime squad in the Boston Division. As one of the original members of the Art Crime Team, founded in 2004, Geoff managed numerous high-profile investigations throughout his career, utilizing sophisticated techniques, veteran interviewing skills, and good old-fashioned detective work.
Geoff has recovered more than $100 million in stolen artwork and cultural property; items as diverse as rare books, fine art, Native American artifacts, looted treasures – even Tom Brady’s stolen Super Bowl jerseys.
An internationally recognized expert in the field of fine art and antiquities theft, Geoff has traveled the world, training domestic and international agencies and institutions on proven methods and best practices to deter art and cultural property theft. He has a proven track record of solving difficult cases, making him one of the most respected investigators in the field.
His most challenging Art Crime Team investigation was the Gardner Museum robbery, for which he was able to identify the perpetrators. However, the stolen artwork has yet to be recovered.
Geoff has extensive experience investigating violent crimes, including cold-case homicides, bank robberies, and kidnappings, and was the case agent on the real-life notorious Charlestown armored car robbery crew that was fictionalized in the Ben Affleck movie, The Town. In fact, the main character in the film, Agent Frawley (played by actor Jon Hamm), was based on Geoff. Geoff worked closely with Affleck and the producers on the project and was credited as an advisor to the film.
Geoff was also case agent on the infamous unsolved Cape Cod homicide from 1974 involving a victim dubbed The Lady of the Dunes. Using investigative genealogy, in 2022, Geoff was able to identify the victim, Ruth Marie Terry, and her killer, and bring closure to her family after nearly half a century.
After retiring from the FBI, Geoff and his colleagues formed Argus Cultural Property Consultants, a consulting firm dedicated to preserving and protecting art & cultural property. He also serves as an instructor at Harvard’s Extension School, teaching a graduate level course on art crime and investigations.
The following are links to articles about the recovery of the Cezanne and the conviction of Robert Mardirosian. There are also links to information about the FBI’s elite Art Crime Team:
US Attorney’s Office – District of Massachusetts – 11/17/2010: Artwork Stolen Over Three Decades Ago Returned
Cape Cod Times – 2/10/2007: Police stumble on pot stash
FBI Website – What We Investigate – Art Crime
FBI Website – Inside the FBI Podcast: The Art Crime Program
FBI Website (VIDEO) – Art Crime Team Training
Also, listen to the following FBI Retired Case File Review episodes about property crime thefts and recovery of rare documents and books:
312: John Ouellet – Bibliomania Book Bandit, Stephen Blumberg
116: Dan Reilly – Rare Document Theft, Charles Merrill Mount
022: Bob Bazin – Art Crime Rodin Museum Armed Robbery
Read my review of the movie National Treasure (2004)
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