Philadelphia Museum Accepts Historic Firearms with the Assistance from FBI Philadelphia

It was discovered that Michael had stolen items from museums across several states, including Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania. AUSA Newton revealed that Michael was linked to thefts at Valley Forge and the U.S. Army War College Museum in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

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In a collaboration, the FBI, in conjunction with the Department of Justice and the Upper Merion Township Police Department (UMTPD) in Pennsylvania, recently achieved a significant breakthrough. They successfully recovered stolen firearms from the Revolutionary War era, which had been part of a series of thefts that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s in and around Valley Forge Park. The recovery of these precious artifacts took place at a solemn repatriation ceremony held at the prestigious Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. These firearms were just a fraction of the valuable items that were looted during those robberies, and until now, very little evidence had been uncovered regarding the culprits responsible for these crimes.

"We were all committed to seeing justice—not just bringing the objects back home, but seeking a proper prosecution of those who perpetrated these crimes," said Special Agent Jake Archer, a member of the FBI’s Art Crime Team who worked this case for FBI Philadelphia.

The Bureau’s role in this investigation was multipronged, Archer said. "We brought our investigative labor, first and foremost," he explained. "Secondly, we brought our multijurisdictional apparatus where we could cover leads in other parts of the country in a fast and orderly fashion. As well, we brought forth our evidence-response capabilities and that art crime-specific knowledge of how these cases should be investigated, and how the objects should be cared for."

Ever since the probe into these thefts commenced back in 2009, Michael Corbett, Scott Corbett, and Thomas Gavin have confessed to stealing items from the park and the Valley Forge Historical Society. They cooperated with investigators to recover the stolen goods.

However, the location of 10 more items that these men, along with potentially others, were implicated in stealing—from Valley Forge Park and other places—still eludes authorities. The FBI Philadelphia, along with our collaborators, are now reaching out to the public for assistance in locating these missing items.

"Having not been born at the time, I didn’t know what he was talking about and had never heard any stories about these break-ins," Rathfon recalled. So, he thanked the tipster and did more digging.

In January of 2009, a senior citizen made a visit to a police station in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania, just a short drive from Philadelphia. The reason for his visit? He had spotted a stolen gun at an antique show in the area. UMTPD Detectives Andy Rathfon and Brendan Dougherty were the ones who received this tip. The gun in question had apparently been taken from a museum located within Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge during the 1960s or 1970s.

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After some investigation, it was discovered that records for minor crimes from that time period had been discarded, and there were no official reports of burglaries at the museum. However, the detectives decided to reach out to the Valley Forge Historical Society, which had overseen the museum. They learned that the society had disbanded, but had passed on its collection to a group working on establishing a museum dedicated to the American Revolution.

The detectives then met with Dr. Scott Stephenson, who was leading the curatorial team of this new organization. This meeting provided the detectives with the missing pieces of the puzzle they needed. It turned out that the stolen gun was not part of the Valley Forge Historical Society's collection, but there had indeed been multiple unsolved break-ins at the historical park. Working together with Stephenson's team, the detectives compiled a list of missing items from both the park and the Historical Society, complete with descriptions and photos.

Investigators were faced with the task of identifying the stolen items and their origins. Scott Corbett provided valuable information, recalling where Michael had taken some of the firearms. The team even traveled to Cody, Wyoming, for a museum curator’s meeting to seek expert help in identifying the mysterious items.

It was discovered that Michael had stolen items from museums across several states, including Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania. AUSA Newton revealed that Michael was linked to thefts at Valley Forge and the U.S. Army War College Museum in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Although theft charges couldn't be brought against him, Michael was charged with possession of stolen property that had been transported interstate. Following his indictment and guilty plea, Michael agreed to assist in recovering some of the stolen items. The investigation led the FBI Art Crime Team all the way to San Francisco.

Additionally, a concerned collector contacted Dr. Stephenson, suspecting he had unknowingly purchased a stolen rifle. Initially believed to be a replica, the gun turned out to be an authentic piece by Moravian gunsmith John Christian Oerter. The collector handed the rifle over to the authorities.

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Thomas Gavin turned out to be “a significant museum thief” in his own right, having robbed items from the Valley Forge Park, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, and additional museums in the greater Philadelphia area. “But he too cooperated and told us what he had stolen,” AUSA Newton said.

“We had to then stop, solve that case in order to figure out who stole what from where, in order to then pick the Corbett case back up and bring it home,” Archer recalled of the Gavin section of the overall investigation. “So, it was staggeringly complex across space and time and material.”

The search for the stolen items, including a rifle once belonging to naturalist John James Audubon, continues as investigators tirelessly pursue leads. Despite the ongoing nature of their work, the significance of their partnership and the successful recovery of these precious artifacts cannot be emphasized enough.

“With the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution coming up,” said James Taub, an associate curator at the museum, “the teamwork and partnership between local police and the FBI have given us in Philadelphia and the historical community at large a really strong opportunity to reach people in ways that we haven't before, through objects that people of my generation haven't seen and that previous generations might not have seen since before the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution.”

Dr. Stephenson echoed that sentiment, noting that “for us, as educator- and preservation-oriented institutions, these objects are irreplaceable.”

Stephenson says the museum’s work isn’t done. “It may be that the person who stole an object say 50 years ago may have passed away long ago. In many cases, families may have things that they don't realize where they came from, how they came into that collection, or things that were sold and passed around.”

The museum is currently reviewing its descriptions of the missing objects to emphasize important details that could trigger someone's memory. Additionally, they are actively informing antique enthusiasts and collectors about the stolen items.

According to him, most individuals aim to act ethically. However, the FBI is prepared to look into individuals who knowingly keep looted artifacts.

Special Agent Archer emphasized that those who possess stolen items and act unlawfully will be subject to investigation.

“Ultimately,” said Special Agent Archer, “people who know that they are in possession of these stolen items and do the wrong thing, we certainly are prepared to investigate.”

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