When it rains, it pours. Daniel Lorello, former employee at the New York State Archives who entered a guilty plea back in August for the theft and sale of items from the State Library, received his sentence on Thursday.
The Schenectady Gazette reports that he'll serve 2-6 years in prison (sort of a wide range there, isn't it?) plus pay "$129,500 in restitution, to be divided among people who unknowingly bought stolen property from him and later returned it to the state. He must also forfeit his personal collection of historic artifacts and documents, valued at approximately $80,000, to the New York State Library and Archives."
That last provision is a new one to me - I can't recall a time when a defendant was required to give up his entire collection (obtained legally). This must have been part of the plea deal, or a voluntary step taken by Lorello.
The state attorney general's office says that more than 1,600 items stolen by Lorello have been returned to the library.
State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said in a statement: "Access to the historical collections of the nation is a fundamental right in our democracy. When someone steals from those collections, we are all harmed. Fortunately, most of the items stolen by Mr. Lorello have now been recovered." After receiving his sentence, Lorello apologized for his crimes before being led from the courtroom in handcuffs.
