By Khalida Sarwari
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is investigating whether one of the biggest reported art heists in the country’s history has been masterminded by the alleged victims themselves.
Cmdr. Mike Richards held a news conference this afternoon at the sheriff’s office in Salinas to announce the turn of events in the investigation of a multi-million dollar art theft reported on Sept. 25. at the Pebble Beach home of Angelo Benjamin Amadio and his housemate Ralph Kennaugh at 4027 Sunridge Road.
“Since the date of the report of theft we’ve been actively investigating it as a bona fide burglary,” Richards said. “But circumstances have arose that have compelled us to include the possibility that the alleged victims may have been suspects.”
A spokesperson at the law office of their attorney Vicki St. John could not be reached for comment this afternoon.
Richards said investigators began suspecting Angelo Benjamin Amadio and his housemate Ralph Kennaugh after the business partners gave inconsistent statements and failed to provide information or proof of the artwork they claim was stolen.
“We’ve asked these guys if they have anything to identify these works of art and they haven’t provided any information,” Richards said.
Richards said they’ve been asked to provide documents showing the contact information for their artwork, measurements, data, and insurance.
“The only thing we have is what they have put on a press release to the media,” Richards said. “And they are now saying there were more paintings.”
Richards said the sheriff’s office was initially told approximately $27 million of art was stolen, and acknowledged media reports that up to $80 million of art had been stolen.
Investigators are also suspicious of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a typewritten ransom note.
The note, found by one of the residents on Sept. 29, demanded money for the return of the art and contained a death threat to the victims, Richards said.
He said the note contains misspelled words, has no punctuation marks and appears as if an illiterate person wrote it. Processing results furthermore revealed Amadio had touched the note.
The two had initially claimed that investigators had found the note while processing the crime scene, but later said they had discovered it behind a painting against a wall.
“Everything is suspect,” Richards said.
Richards said Amadio and Kennaugh have compromised the investigation by contacting the media directly via press statements and a $1 million reward offer.
“They’re trying to discredit us and our investigation,” Richards said. “We’ve done nothing but a fine job so far based on what we’ve had to work with.”
Amadio has claimed that the suspect or suspects appeared to have entered through an unlocked guest bedroom window and fled with the artwork before he and Kennaugh, a retired radiation oncologist, arrived on the afternoon of Sept. 25.
He said, “Whoever did this knew us and knew our collection. There are probably no more than five or six people who knew about our collection.”
Amadio said he has lived at the home for about four months and is in the process of starting an alternative asset investment company.
The two offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the art pieces — returned anonymously and undamaged.
Among the art they claim were stolen are Rembrandt works “Woman Making Water” and “St. Jude Praying.” Amadio said many of the pieces have never been on the market, including a Jackson Pollock painting valued at approximately $20 million, and works by Van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Henri Matisse.
Amadio said he and Kennaugh have accumulated about 300 substantial pieces of art over a period of two or three decades.
Along with the artwork, business records and a hard drive were also allegedly stolen, in addition to about 20 to 30 items valued at roughly $100,000, including lithographs, prints and vintage posters. Approximately 100 of the most valuable pieces remaining in their collection were removed from their house and stored in an insured, secured facility.
Richards said the sheriff’s office will continue to actively investigate the case as a possible burglary.
“But everything is pointing to a different direction,” he said.