Established New York Dealer Revealed as Antiquities Trafficker in Ongoing U.S. Probe to Identify and Return Stolen Cultural Artifacts

Veteran New York antiquities dealer Michael Ward pleaded guilty to one count of criminal facilitation in September 2023 as part of a sweeping investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's office and European authorities into alleged money laundering and organized crime involvement in the illicit antiquities trade. Ward was convicted of helping traffickers move looted cultural property.