France’s Most Prolific Art Thief Is Caught Red-Handed—Again

Serial Art Thief Is Arrested Again – France’s most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser, has been arrested again. In a raid on his home, police found Roman coins from an archeological museum and other pieces from French and German galleries. Police swooped after he tried to sell a 19th-century paperweight on eBay, which is believed stolen. Over the years, he has confessed to more than 250 crimes, and at one point carried out a theft almost every day. Breitwieser’s mother is reported to have destroyed or thrown away dozens of paintings and drawings that her son brought home, some by Cranach, Bruegel, and Watteau.