[MSN] Trio pleads not guilty in art thefts. Suspects in case linked to Santiago works include lawyer.

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

January 13, 2007

Trio pleads not guilty in art thefts

Suspects in case linked to Santiago works include lawyer

Michael Zeigler
Staff writer

A lawyer, one of his former clients and another man pleaded not guilty
Friday to charges that they stole four works by the late artist Ramon
Santiago from businesses in Webster and Brighton.

Lawyer John R. West, former client Vincent J. Paone and Thomas H. Gilbert
entered the pleas before acting state Supreme Court Justice Dennis M. Kehoe.

West, 40, of Penfield, remains free on $5,000 bail. Paone, 39, of Webster,
and Gilbert, 44, of Rochester, are being held without bail in Monroe County
Jail. Paone and Gilbert are convicted felons.

West's next court appearance is April 6. Paone and Gilbert's lawyers will
meet with the prosecution and the judge on Jan. 30 to discuss evidence in
the case and explore whether plea bargains are possible.

West, Paone and Gilbert were indicted in December on charges of third-degree
grand larceny and third-degree criminal possession of stolen property,
alleging the theft of three paintings on Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 from
McCoy's Custom Picture Framing on North Avenue in Webster.

Paone and Gilbert also are charged with petit larceny and Paone, Gilbert and
West are charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property
for the theft of a Santiago print from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 from Made You Look
Salon & Day Spa on Monroe Avenue in Brighton.

Gilbert allegedly told investigators that he and Paone, whom West had
represented in two criminal cases, stole the print in Brighton and sold it
to West, who commissioned the theft of the three paintings from Webster.

West allegedly admitted possessing all four works but stopped short of
admitting he knew they were stolen. He also allegedly told police that he
felt coerced into purchasing the final painting.

MZEIGLER at DemocratandChronicle.com