Connect with us

Massachusetts

FBI returns 22 artifacts looted after Battle of Okinawa to Japan following Massachusetts family's discovery

Published

on

FBI returns 22 artifacts looted after Battle of Okinawa to Japan following Massachusetts family's discovery


Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

Please enter a valid email address.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.

Having trouble? Click here.

The FBI says it has returned 22 artifacts to Japan that were looted following the Battle of Okinawa after a Massachusetts family going through their late World War II veteran father’s personal effects discovered “what appeared to be very valuable Asian art.” 

Advertisement

The artifacts, which had been missing for nearly 80 years, “date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, represent a significant piece of Okinawan history and include six portraits, a hand-drawn map of Okinawa dating back to the 19th century, and various pieces of pottery and ceramics,” according to a statement from the FBI’s Boston Division. 

“This case highlights the important role the public plays in recognizing and reporting possible stolen art,” said Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We’d like to thank the family from Massachusetts who did the right thing in reaching out to us and relinquishing these treasures so we could return them to the people of Okinawa.” 

The FBI said that last year, the family discovered the artifacts while going through the belongings of their late father, a World War II veteran who had never served in the Pacific Theater. 

BOMB SQUAD SWEEPS CHARLES RIVER IN MASSACHUSETTS AFTER DISCOVERY OF 2 EXPLOSIVES 

The FBI says the artifacts have been missing for nearly 80 years, until now. (FBI )

Advertisement

“In an effort to identify the provenance of the artifacts, they checked the National Stolen Art File and determined that at least four of the items were missing 18th century portraits that had been listed in the database,” the FBI said. “Included with the artifacts was an unsigned, typewritten letter stating these items were collected in Okinawa during the last days of World War II.” 

D-DAY VETERAN, 100, TO BE MARRIED AT WORLD WAR II LIBERATION SITE IN FRANCE 

The artifacts, which were returned to Okinawa on Friday, March 14, included “various pieces of pottery and ceramics,” according to the FBI. (FBI)

The FBI says it was able to authenticate the artworks through an investigation before the National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian Institute assisted agents in ensuring they were properly packaged for transport back to Japan, where they arrived Friday. 

The FBI says the artifacts were discovered by a family in Massachusetts that was going through the personal effects of their late father, a World War II veteran. (FBI)

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“In 2001, the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education, as a result of its participation in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, registered some of these artifacts with the FBI’s National Stolen Art File, a database of art and cultural property that have been reported stolen to the FBI by law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad,” the FBI said. 



Source link

Massachusetts

Massachusetts man accused of wanting sex with girl busted in World Cup trafficking operation

Published

on

Massachusetts man accused of wanting sex with girl busted in World Cup trafficking operation


A Massachusetts man who allegedly looked to have sex with a 15-year-old girl and bring drugs and alcohol to the meet-up has been arrested during a crackdown on human trafficking amid the World Cup.

Richard Lallier, 34, of Rehoboth, is one of 13 individuals who face exploitation and trafficking charges stemming from an operation that the FBI Boston has partnered on with the Massachusetts State Police and Rhode Island State Police during the global soccer tournament, dubbed “Operation Red Card.”

“Participating agencies emphasized that while major international sporting events bring significant economic and cultural benefits to host communities,” the Rhode Island State Police said in a statement on Tuesday, “they may also create opportunities for traffickers and those who exploit vulnerable populations.”

“Law enforcement agencies throughout the region remain committed to proactive enforcement efforts designed to deter human trafficking, identify victims, and hold offenders accountable,” the State Police added.

Advertisement

The Rhode Island State Police arrested six individuals, including Lallier, while the Massachusetts State Police apprehended seven suspects during a five-day operation between June 12 and 16.

The suspects arrested in Massachusetts range in age between 21 and 71, all of whom have been arraigned on state charges of sex for a fee with a child under 18, enticement of a child under 16, and attempted rape of a child.

In Rhode Island, Lallier, with a last known address in Rehoboth, is being held without bail on charges of attempted enticement, attempted interstate travel for sexual contact with a minor under 16 years old, and attempted transmission of obscene material to a minor.

Lindsay Laurie, a Rhode Island state trooper who went undercover to operate a Facebook profile that featured “age-regressed images” of herself, said in an affidavit that she informed Lallier via Messenger that he was speaking to a 15-year-old.

In response, Lallier, who went by the name of “Frank Land” on Facebook, allegedly said he was 34 years old before he asked for a “naughty video.”

Advertisement

Lallier also allegedly “sent multiple videos of his penis” to the undercover profile.

Two days later, last Wednesday, Lallier messaged the undercover profile again, explaining that he wanted to find “snow,” a “code word for cocaine,” Laurie stated. Lallier said he would “bring weed and fireball” to a meetup.

Last Friday, after Lallier confirmed to the undercover profile that he arrived in Rhode Island’s Lincoln Woods State Park, authorities arrested him, according to Laurie’s affidavit.

Major international events, such as the World Cup, lead to “large-scale travel” and “increased demand for lodging,” creating “opportunities for criminal exploitation,” according to Michael Soper, the program director of Boston Hotel Watch, an intelligence network connecting hotels and law enforcement.

Soper pointed to the “rapid expansion of short-term rental platforms” in creating a “significant and evolving challenge” to prevent human trafficking since the accommodations often have “less oversight, fewer standardized security protocols, and limited participation in established reporting networks.”

Advertisement

“As a result,” Soper said in a statement shared with the Herald, “illicit activity may occur outside the visibility of hospitality professionals and law enforcement partnerships, making the full scope of the problem difficult to measure.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Massachusetts

Arlington Nonprofit Receives Statewide Grant Funding

Published

on

Arlington Nonprofit Receives Statewide Grant Funding


“We are proud to support this remarkable group of nonprofit organizations and the essential work they do across Massachusetts,” Sincere Foundation Executive Director Rebecca Reiner said in a statement. “Their collective impact strengthens communities throughout the Commonwealth and we are honored to help advance their efforts.”

According to the foundation, grant recipients were selected across three focus areas: food security, housing stability, and safe spaces. Organizations receiving support in the food security category alongside Food Link include The Open Door in Gloucester, Worcester County Food Bank, Food For Free, and other nonprofits working to increase access to nutritious food.





Source link

Continue Reading

Massachusetts

Massachusetts man indicted on murder charge in child’s 2017 death

Published

on

Massachusetts man indicted on murder charge in child’s 2017 death


WORCESTER, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – A Massachusetts man has been indicted in connection with the death of a child.

Laura French, spokesperson for the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, said 35-year-old Steven Stuart of Auburn was indicted by a grand jury on a murder charge. The charge stems from the 2017 death of seven-year-old Jayden Carlson.

Stuart was convicted in September 2015 on a charge of assault and batter on a child causing serious bodily injury in connection with an August 2012 incident involving Carlson, who was two years old at the time. Stuart was sentenced to six to eight years in state prison for that conviction.

French added that Carlson suffered serious, “life-altering injuries and subsequently experienced ongoing medical complications” following the 2012 incident. Carlson died in December 2017 as a result of those injuries.

Advertisement

Stuart has been arraigned on the indictment and is being held without bail. His next court date is scheduled for July 20.

Copyright 2026 Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending