Caretaker sentenced for stealing elderly man's fine art

A 42-year-old Maryland man was sentenced Monday in federal court in Camden to 12 months in prison for stealing at least 40 works from an art dealer while acting as his caretaker.

William C. Reed III, of Rock Hall, Md., who pleaded guilty in October to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, also was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $92,240.

In 2013, Reed began working as a caretaker for the victim, who collected what prosecutors said was "an eclectic collection of fine art by American and European artists."

Between June and November 2014, Reed took artwork from the collector's property in Rock Hall without his permission and sold the art at various locations, including a pawn shop in Salem, N.J., and to a person in Chestertown, Md.

Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI's Art Crime Team, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster in Philadelphia, with the successful investigation.