Thomas Trotta, 56, was sentenced on March 13 and also ordered to repay $2.8 million in restitution for his role in the thefts. He was the fourth individual to be sentenced as part of a large-scale, multi-state investigation into thefts spanning over two decades.
The stolen items include Warhol’s Le Grande Passion (1984) and Pollock’s Springs Winter (1949), both taken from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 2005. Springs Winter had been loaned to the museum by a private collector, while Le Grande Passion was part of the museum’s collection. The Warhol piece was originally commissioned for an ad campaign for Grand Passion cognac.
According to the Associated Press, the Pollock painting was valued at approximately $12 million in 2023, but neither artwork has been recovered. Trotta admitted to his involvement in the theft of both pieces.
Trotta’s attorney, Joe D’Andrea, explained that Trotta was the “main burglar” who physically entered the institutions and stole the artworks.
In addition to the high-value artworks, Trotta also confessed to stealing sports memorabilia, including rings and MVP plaques valued at around $500,000 from the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Little Falls, New Jersey.
The investigation also connected Trotta to the theft of a Tiffany lamp, as well as memorabilia from the worlds of boxing, horse racing, baseball, and golf. In 2011, the crime ring stole Jasper Cropsey’s Upper Hudson (1871) from Ringwood Manor in New Jersey. That painting, estimated to be worth over $100,000, was later destroyed by one of the criminals involved.
Trotta’s cooperation with authorities in this case earned him a reduced sentence. His testimony against co-defendants, including Nicholas Dombek, played a role in securing convictions for others involved in the ring.
As part of the plea deal, Trotta received a break for his cooperation, which allowed him to avoid a potentially harsher sentence. Dombek, who was convicted on multiple charges, is awaiting sentencing.
The case highlights the extensive theft ring that impacted museums and collectors over the course of 20 years, with Trotta at the center of the operations.
