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Despite calling main witness a liar in heist trial, prosecution asks jury to find the truth in his testimony

William J. Nealon Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Scranton.
Aimee Dilger
/
WVIA News
William J. Nealon Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Scranton.

Defense attorneys portrayed the chief prosecution witness in the art and sports memorabilia theft ring trial as an unreliable narrator and liar during closing statements Tuesday.

But a federal prosecutor argued four men accused of participating in the ring wanted money, no matter the cost, and the witness, Thomas Trotta, could not have committed the crimes alone.

“A group of people who saw items in museums where they’re supposed to be … these men wanted them for themselves,” U.S. Attorney James Buchanan said.

The two sides, who rested their cases Monday, presented their closing arguments Tuesday. Jurors are expected to begin deliberating Wednesday.

Trotta, who has pleaded guilty to his role, testified at length last week about leading a two-decade theft ring that targeted 20 museums and other venues in six states and Washington, D.C.

"Thomas Trotta is a thief ... he is a liar," Buchanan said.

But he asked jurors, who heard Trotta testify for three days, if Trotta told them the truth.

"He was drawing maps on the witness stand," he said.

Nicholas Dombek, 54, Thornhurst Township.; brothers Joseph Atsus, 50, of Roaring Brook Township, and Alfred Atsus, 48, of Covington Township; and Damien Boland, 48, of Moscow, are the accused ring members on trial.

'A group of people who saw items in museums where they’re supposed to be … these men wanted them for themselves,' U.S. Attorney James Buchanan said.

Attorneys Gino Bartolai, representing Dombek, and Matt Clemente, representing Boland, warned jurors against trusting Trotta. They described him as someone who will do or say anything to get out of jail time.

“The government has made a deal with the devil and that’s Tom Trotta,” Bartolai said.

Bartolai called Trotta a scoundrel with charisma and told the jury that he remained a criminal while working with Pennsylvania State Police. Trotta testified to committing more thefts while cooperating.

Buchanan showed the jury videos “casing” museums across the East Coast and photos of the stolen items.

Buchanan argued the men all had roles. Some took videos, or posed for pictures in museums later broken into; others drove or hid stolen items. Dombek is accused of melting down the items.

“These men and this conspiracy was a life, a lifestyle” Buchanan said.

Bartolai said Dombek was never at any theft.

“We’ve seen Nick Dombek at some of these places but we know Tommy Trotta uses people,” he said.

Boland is accused, among other crimes, of moving a gun stolen from the Space Farms in New Jersey to his aunt’s house in Arizona.

Clemente argued the authenticity of the gun and the owner of Space Farms, Parker Space, did not have a serial number for the supposed over 100-year-old weapon, which Buchanan, at one point, asked the jury to inspect.

He also argued that Space Farms does not meet the government’s own definition of a museum.

Clemente didn’t contest that Boland left the gun at his aunt’s house. But he argued that if the gun was worth millions, why would his client leave it at his aunt’s house for over a decade.

“When the government tries to corroborate Mr. Trotta, they can’t,” he said.

Two paintings — a purported Jackson Pollock and an authentic Andy Warhol — stolen from the Everhart Museum in Scranton remain missing.

“You are watching them commit this crime,” Buchanan said to the jury of the videos.

“All the evidence in this case supports one verdict – guilty.”

Kat Bolus is the community reporter for the WVIA News Team. She is a former reporter and columnist at The Times-Tribune, a Scrantonian and cat mom.

You can email Kat at katbolus@wvia.org
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