[MSN] Former Watertown lawyer charged in international art theft

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Former Watertown lawyer charged in international art theft
By Jillian Fennimore, staff writer
Friday, February 16, 2007 - Updated: 04:57 PM EST

Back in 1990, Robert Mardirosian went by the professional name “Romard” and transformed his Mt. Auburn Street law office into a studio, a shift in his approaching retirement from criminal defense attorney to artist.

The former attorney of 26 years, who once lived in Watertown, retired in the early 1990s to become a painter and sculptor, and moved to Falmouth, often traveling to his other studio in France.

But travel plans changed on Tuesday for the Watertown High School graduate (Class of 1952) while disembarking a flight from Paris at Logan Airport.

Mardirosian, 72, was arrested and charged with possession of stolen paintings worth millions of dollars, including an original still life by Paul Cézanne, along with attempting to sell the art reportedly taken from a deceased client.

Mardirosian was brought to U.S. District Court on Tuesday on charges of possession, concealment, storage and attempted sale of stolen goods — seven paintings that were snatched in 1978 from a home in Stockbridge, labeled as the largest burglary from a private Massachusetts residence in history.

“It is extremely disheartening that an attorney charged with upholding the law, as the defendant was in this case, would disregard that duty and for decades conceal the whereabouts of priceless works of art for no other reason than greed,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan.

On Memorial Day weekend in 1978, the artwork, including Cézanne’s “Pitcher and Fruits” was allegedly stolen from the Stockbridge home and left with Mardirosian at his Watertown law office by David Colvin of Pittsfield, a former client who was later killed in a dispute with bookies in 1979.

Mardirosian said he maintained possession of the stolen paintings kept inside a plastic bag in the attic of his 375 Mt. Auburn St. office until 1988, when he allegedly shipped them to Monaco, and then off to a Swiss bank for safekeeping, according to reports.

It is reported in an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Geoffrey Kelly that he intended to return the paintings to their original owner in exchange for a finder’s fee, or 10 percent of their value.

But Mardirosian was able to secretly possess the paintings by working through lawyers in London, Monaco and Switzerland. In the affidavit, Mardirosian was said to have also created a shell company in Panama called Erie International Trading Co.

Mardirosian attempted to sell the stolen paintings in 1999, but an investigation by the Art Loss Register — a London-based company with a database of more than 100,000 pieces of stolen artwork — had determined the painting as stolen and alerted the owner from Stockbridge.

In the affidavit, it was said that in 1999, a “contract” was brokered between the owner and the Eerie International Trading Co., and the company handed over their most valuable piece, the Cézanne, in exchange for a claim on the remaining six paintings for close to $1 million.

Two months later, the owner auctioned off the Cézanne painting through Sotheby’s in London for $29.3 million.

Selling the six remaining paintings was still a mission for Mardirosian.

Paul Palandjian of Belmont told investigators that in 2003, Mardirosian asked him to help sell the paintings in his possession, and he agreed to do so for a commission.

In November 2004, Palandjian contacted Sotheby’s, but once the Art Loss Registry discovered the paintings were the ones stolen from Stockbridge, Mardirosian’s cover was blown. The registry filed a suit to stop any further auctions of the artworks by Mardirosian, who was uncovered as the owner of Erie, and to stop illegal sales of the paintings.

The contract made in 1999 with the original owner of the paintings was determined as void.

In April 2005, Palandjian arranged for four of the paintings — “Portrait d’une Jeune Fille” and “Portrait d’un Jeune Homme” by Chaime Soutine and “Maison Rouge” and “Flowers” by Maurice de Vlaminck, to be shipped from Geneva to Sotheby’s in London. They now remain in the custody of Sotheby’s Auction house. The remaining two stolen paintings, “Woman Seated” and “Boy” by Jean Jansen, are believed to be in the possession of Henri Klein, a friend of Mardirosian, in Switzerland..

In an interview with the TAB & Press in January 1999, Mardirosian was featured in his Watertown studio, committing to a newfound dedication to his artistic talent.

“I learned in life there is a lot more to life than making money,” he said. “People say, ‘Can you make a living?’ I say, ‘No, but I can make a life.’”

Mardirosian said his life as an artist began in 1989 after managing thousands of criminal cases, including first-degree murders. He also prosecuted crimes as a Middlesex County assistant district attorney.

Before Mardirosian closed shop with his private law practice in Watertown, he was employing 14 lawyers.

With a new career came a new name, “Romard,” a combination of his first and last name, and a fresh start from his life as a lawyer.

But Mardirosian now enters a life back in the legal system with his recent arrest.

If convicted of the charges, he would face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
 
$29 million painting was kept in office attic

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