Map thief ordered to pay $2.3 million in restitution
By John Christoffersen, Associated Press Writer
May 22, 2007
NEW HAVEN, Conn. --A renowned dealer who admitted stealing about 100 rare
antique maps was ordered Tuesday to pay $2.3 million in restitution to his
victims around the country and abroad.
E. Forbes Smiley III was sentenced in September to 3 1/2 years in prison
after one librarian described him as a "thief who assaulted history." He was
tentatively ordered to pay restitution of $1.9 million, but that figure was
changed after the parties worked to recover the maps and assess their value.
The maps marked the discovery of new lands, traced wars and peace treaties,
new settlements and disappearances of people, experts said.
The money will go to map dealers and libraries in Connecticut, New York,
Boston, Maine and Britain.
"It's bittersweet. It doesn't mean that they're going to get the money,"
said John Koegel, an attorney who represents some of the dealers.
Whether Smiley's victims will receive the money depends on his ability to
pay after he gets out of prison and the government's ability to sell his
assets, Koegel said.
Prosecutors said in court papers that 96 maps have been recovered and four
remain missing.
In November, officials with Boston Public Library said three dozen antique
maps worth about $1 million were missing in addition to the 34 maps
recovered during the investigation. The maps that are still missing were
from books and atlases used by Smiley, officials said.
Authorities said they cannot be certain whether Smiley, a Martha's Vineyard
resident, has told them of all the stolen maps.
"However, the defendant's admissions to a large number of thefts of maps
that various institutions did not initially realize were missing reflected
well on credibility, as does his additional assistance after sentencing,
with little or no practical incentive to do so," prosecutors wrote.
Smiley, 50, stole the maps over eight years from the New York and Boston
public libraries, the Newberry Library in Chicago, the Harvard and Yale
university libraries and the British Library in London.
He offered little explanation for his motives, aside from selfishness.
Prosecutors have said he acted out of resentment toward the prestigious
libraries and to pay for his expensive tastes and mounting debts.
Federal prosecutors urged a reduced sentence, saying that while Smiley's
thefts were "reprehensible," his extensive cooperation led to the recovery
of most of the maps.
Leaders of the prestigious libraries urged a stiff sentence, saying Smiley
took world treasures and left a trail of victims.
Smiley was arrested after a Yale librarian found a razor blade on the floor.