D.A. Bragg Announces Return Of 29 Antiquities To The People Of Greece

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the return of 29 antiquities collectively valued at $3 million to the people of Greece. The objects were seized pursuant to ongoing investigations into multiple looting and trafficking networks, including those run by convicted traffickers Robin Symes and Eugene Alexander. These objects were smuggled into the United States and laundered by dealers and collectors through false provenances, exhibitions, and museum donations.

"These 29 extraordinary pieces were recovered thanks to the hard work of our prosecutors and analysts," said District Attorney Bragg. "The impact of these significant trafficking networks are still felt in New York, and we will continue to work alongside our partners around the globe to return stolen objects."

"Each repatriation of Greek antiquities is a profoundly important event, vindicating the Ministry of Culture's policy in recent years. Greece is now internationally recognized as a country that has placed the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural heritage at the forefront of its agenda-an issue directly linked to organized crime and terrorism. This was also evident at Mondiacult, the World Conference on Cultural Policies organized by UNESCO in Barcelona. The latest success of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit, led by Matthew Bogdanos, together with Homeland Security Investigations, fills us with joy and optimism. I have said many times, and I will continue to stress, that the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural goods requires strong partnerships and hard work. We are fortunate to have built and maintained such partnerships and to see tangible results. Warm thanks go to all who contributed to the return of these 29 antiquities," said Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni.

"It is a great honor and pleasure to be here today to receive the 29 antiquities returning to Greece, thanks to the months-long investigations of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit. The Ministry of Culture, through its competent Directorate of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Goods, will continue its close cooperation with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, which is certain to yield even greater results in the future," said Secretary General, Georgios Didaskalou.

Key items being repatriated include:

Bronze Foot in the Form of a Sphinx, dating to roughly 600 B.C.E., and despite its name, likely depicts a siren. The Bronze Foot first appeared in the collection of a trafficker who then sold it to Robin Symes, who sold to a private collector, who-in turn-donated it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2000. The Antiquities Trafficking Unit seized the Bronze Foot from The Met in 2025.

Bronze Applique of a Gorgon, from the 6^th century B.C.E., depicts a running mythological Gorgon and would originally have been attached to a bronze vessel. The Gorgon first appeared with antiquities trafficker Robert Hecht, who then sold it to Fortuna Fine Arts-a gallery currently under indictment in federal court for fraud. Fortuna then falsely claimed that the Gorgon came from William Froelich, a name frequently used by Fortuna and other galleries in its false provenance. Thereafter, the Gorgon was sold to a private collector who placed the antiquity on loan at the Met. The Antiquities Trafficking Unit seized the Gorgon from the Met in 2025.

During District Attorney Bragg's tenure, the ATU has recovered approximately 2,400 antiquities stolen from 47 countries and valued at $260 million. Since its creation, the ATU has convicted 18 individuals of cultural property-related crimes, recovered approximately 6,100 antiquities valued at $480 million, and has returned approximately 5,750 of them so far to 31 countries.

The investigations were conducted by Chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Matthew Bogdanos; Investigative Analysts Charlotte Looram and Michael Chapin; District Attorney Investigator John Paul Labbat; and Special Agents Robert Mancene and Robert Fromkin of Homeland Security Investigations. Investigative support was provided by Elena Vlachogianni and Vasiliki Papageorgiou of the Directorate of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Goods of Greece's Ministry of Culture. We would like to thank the Met and Fortuna Fine Arts for their cooperation with the investigation.

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