Buffalo Man Charged with Stealing Historical Documents

BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Daniel J. Witek, 50 of Buffalo, N.Y., was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with mail fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of  20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the defendant is associated with various museums and libraries in Western New York. Witek is accused of stealing at least five historical letters from the Buffalo History Museum. The defendant then tried to sell the letters to Lion Heart Autographs in New York City.

            If you are a public or private collector of rare books, letters or artwork and believe an item or items are missing from your collection, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 716-856-7800.

            The criminal complaint is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel and the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tracy Gast.

            The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.