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Man charged with attempting to sell stolen historical letters

bechs.org

A Buffalo man has been arrested and charged with stealing and attempting to sell historical documents from The Buffalo History Museum. Daniel Witek, 50, is accused of taking at least five historical letters from the museum and then trying to sell them to Lion Heart Autographs, a New York City dealer, for $2,750.  Witek, who volunteered at the museum, used the alias J.W. Payne, which authorities say is the name of a friend.

"He demanded a price and then the dealer, for whatever reason, decided to contact the Buffalo History Museum to determine whether or not these letters were appropriately for sale and they indicated that they weren't," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, chief of the General Crimes section.

DiGiacomo says the documents are tied to a prominent Buffalo businessman and philanthropist from the turn of the 20th century.

"[The] letters relate to Anson Conger Goodyear," DiGiacomo says.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says along with the History Museum, Witek volunteered at libraries in Buffalo, Albion, Barker, and Middleport. As part of their ongoing investigation, authorities are asking any public or private collector of rare books, letters, or artwork who believes items may be missing from their collection to contact the FBI at (716) 856-7800.

"We don't know how far his reach has gone," said DiGiacomo. "The investigation remains ongoing with respect to other potential places that he had access to."

Witek, who has no criminal history, faces a charge of mail fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, if convicted. 

 

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