U.S. Attorney Jesse A. Laslovich | U.S. Department of Justice
A New Mexico resident, Brian Anthony D’Ambrosio, has been sentenced to six months in prison for the theft of historical documents from the Montana Historical Society. D’Ambrosio, 50, pleaded guilty in July to stealing items including letters by Nancy Russell, wife of Western artist Charlie "C.M." Russell, and selling them on eBay. His sentence also includes one year of supervised release and a $4,000 fine.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the case and ordered D’Ambrosio to pay $22,508 in restitution. He is allowed to self-report to prison.
U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich stated, “D’Ambrosio’s actions were intentional and calculated—designed to steal Montana’s cultural treasures so he could profit.” Laslovich emphasized that both the Montana Historical Society and Montanans were victims of this crime due to the historical significance of the stolen documents.
The court documents revealed that D’Ambrosio targeted valuable artifacts related to Charles M. Russell between April 2022 and September 2023 while posing as a researcher at the museum located in Helena. The theft included items over 100 years old valued at more than $5,000. An undercover FBI agent confirmed his involvement by posing as a buyer on eBay.
The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigations conducted by the FBI Art Crime Team and Helena Police Department.
