Timothy Martin, a 55-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina, was found guilty of defacing a notable art exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The jury's decision was revealed by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., alongside Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
The incident stemmed from an April 2023 action, where Martin, along with Johanna Smith, aged 54, from Brooklyn, New York, defaced the sculpture "Little Dancer, Age Fourteen" by Edgar Degas. This case drew significant attention following a directive from President Trump in March 2025, urging federal authorities to implement initiatives to ensure safety and aesthetic restoration in D.C., including law enforcement efforts coordinated by the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.
“This verdict sends a strong message to the thousands of people who come to D.C. each year to demonstrate and be heard,” stated U.S. Attorney Martin. He emphasized that while free speech is constitutional, damaging property such as art is unacceptable. Martin stressed, “We want to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Again, and we will not tolerate anyone defacing our city to get attention for their cause.”
A federal jury found Martin guilty of conspiring to commit offenses against the United States and for damaging a National Gallery of Art piece. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson has scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2025.
The court heard evidence that Martin and Smith coordinated with others to deface the exhibit, carrying paint-filled bottles into the museum. They acted after visitors cleared the area, smearing and striking the exhibit's case. Declare Emergency, a group associated with the act, later claimed responsibility. The event was covered by two reporters from the Washington Post and additional conspirators who documented the act.
The attack resulted in over $4,000 in damages, compelling the removal of the sculpture from public display for repairs. Smith, who pled guilty in December 2023, received a 60-day prison term, a 24-month supervised release period, and penalties including a fine and restitution payments.
The FBI's Washington Field Office, including its Art Crime Team, is investigating the case with support from local law enforcement agencies. The prosecution is managed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron A. Tepfer and Jennifer Blackwell from the District of Columbia's U.S. Attorney’s Office.
