The Shocking Theft of Ancient Treasures Worth Billions

Summary

Jonathan Tokeley Perry, a former cavalryman and antiquities restorer, orchestrated a daring antiquities smuggling operation in the 1990s, amassing over 3,000 ancient Egyptian artifacts. Utilizing his skills to disguise the treasures as cheap souvenirs, Perry managed to evade law enforcement and customs officers with the help of a corrupt network within Egypt. His operation involved intricate forgery and deception, including altering artifacts and creating false provenance documents. Perry's downfall came with the execution of Operation Bullish, leading to his arrest and conviction in England, while his accomplices faced sentences in Egypt. Despite the legal repercussions, Perry remains unrepentant, believing his actions preserved historical treasures. His story is a testament to the cunning and audacity of one of the most elaborate antiquities smuggling operations ever documented.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Jonathan Tokley Perry, a former cavalryman and Cambridge graduate, became a notorious antiquities smuggler, known for his cunning and skill in evading law enforcement.
• 🔍 Perry's operation involved a complex scheme of smuggling ancient Egyptian treasures, using methods such as reconstructing artifacts to disguise them as cheap souvenirs to pass inspections.
• 🛠️ He employed forgery and deception, including creating fake receipts and altering artifacts to remove telltale signs of their antiquity, to sell them as legitimate pieces.
• 🤝 Perry collaborated with an Egyptian family of traders and a New York dealer named Frederick Schultz, who played a significant role in the antiquities market and was later convicted for his involvement.
• 💰 The smuggled artifacts were sold for substantial profits, with one piece, the 'Otep the Third Stone head', fetching $1.2 million at auction.
• 🚨 Perry's operation was eventually exposed by Operation Bullish, a law enforcement effort that led to his arrest and the discovery of his smuggling network.
• 📚 Documentation and artifacts found at Perry's home, including false doors from a tomb and scholarly documents, revealed his knowledge of the origins of the items he smuggled.
• 🇪🇬 Despite Egypt's laws against the export of cultural heritage, Perry argued that he was preserving history by selling artifacts to wealthy collectors where they would be better cared for.
• 🤝 Ali Farak, a key figure in the Egyptian smuggling network, was involved in the trade of stolen artifacts and was convicted along with Perry and others for their roles in the smuggling operation.
• 📉 The legal consequences for those involved were severe, with Perry serving three years of a six-year sentence and Schultz receiving a 33-month jail sentence and a $50,000 fine.
• 📚 Perry, now living in Sandwich, England, has no regrets and is writing his autobiography, with plans to possibly return to University College London to complete his doctorate in ethics.

Q & A

Who is Jonathan Tokley Perry and what is his background?

Jonathan Tokley Perry is a 72-year-old Englishman from Winch Barnstable in Devon. He was a cavalryman in the military and holds a degree in moral sciences and philosophy from the University of Cambridge, as well as an incomplete doctorate from the University College in London. He worked as an antiquities restorer in London before moving to Egypt and becoming involved in smuggling operations.

How did Jonathan Tokley Perry manage to smuggle ancient Egyptian treasures without being detected?

Tokley Perry employed a complex method involving the reconstruction of artifacts to make them appear as cheap souvenirs, which could pass through inspections undetected. He also forged receipts to further authenticate the items as mere souvenirs. His operations were sophisticated, requiring skills of forgery, deception, and lying.

What was the role of Frederick Schultz in Jonathan Tokley Perry's smuggling operations?

Frederick Schultz was a New York dealer who played a pivotal role in the antiquities industry. He provided financial backing for Perry's operations, purchasing artifacts from him which he then resold from his gallery in Midtown Manhattan. Schultz was also involved in efforts to make recently stolen antiquities appear as part of an antique English collection.

How did the authorities eventually apprehend Jonathan Tokley Perry?

Operation Bullish, led by the authorities, resulted in the end of Perry's smuggling operation. His home was raided, revealing incriminating documents, forgeries, and antiquities. The investigation also traced his accomplices and collaborators in Egypt, England, and Switzerland.

What was the fate of the smuggled antiquities and the individuals involved in the smuggling operation?

The smuggled antiquities, such as the PAC Inon steel, were eventually auctioned off, bringing in significant profits before legal repercussions led to jail time for those involved. Perry served three years of a six-year prison sentence in England, while his accomplices were also convicted and sentenced to hard labor. Some artifacts, like the PAC Inon steel, were later returned to Egypt.

What was the legal argument put forth by Jonathan Tokley Perry in his defense?

Tokley Perry argued that he was preserving the Egyptian heritage by selling the artifacts to wealthy collectors where they would be better taken care of. He claimed that Egypt itself was the greatest threat to its antiquities and that by removing the artifacts from the country, he was actually preserving them.

How did the smuggling operation exploit the system to make the artifacts appear legitimate?

The operation used a variety of methods to legitimize the stolen artifacts. They reconstructed the artifacts to make them appear as common souvenirs, forged receipts to show they were purchased as such, and used connections to manipulate documentation, making the artifacts appear as if they were part of an antique English collection.

What was the significance of the 'free port' system in Switzerland in the context of the smuggling operation?

The 'free port' system in Switzerland, known for its commercial discretion, played a crucial role in the smuggling operation. It allowed for the artifacts to be processed and stored without raising suspicion, and facilitated their movement across international borders.

What was the role of Ali Farak and his brothers in the smuggling network?

Ali Farak and his brothers were heavily involved in the trade of stolen artifacts and operated one of the largest smuggling networks in Egypt during the 1990s. They were instrumental in sourcing and moving the artifacts, often negotiating with builders and others who discovered archaeological finds.

How did the corruption within the Egyptian government and among bureaucrats facilitate the smuggling operation?

The corruption within the Egyptian government and among bureaucrats created a friendly environment for smuggling operations. It allowed for the manipulation of documentation, the movement of artifacts through official channels, and the avoidance of legal repercussions, thus facilitating the growth of the smuggling network.

What were the methods used by Jonathan Tokley Perry to alter the appearance of the stolen artifacts?

Jonathan Tokley Perry used a method of reconstructing the artifacts by adding missing parts, dipping them in liquid plastic, painting them with bright colors, and distorting the writings to make them appear as cheap souvenirs. He also sometimes wrote 'Made in Egypt' on the items to further deceive inspectors.

Outlines

00:00

😀 The Ingenious Smuggling Operation of Jonathan Tokley Perry

Jonathan Tokley Perry, a former cavalryman and antiquities restorer, orchestrated a daring antiquities smuggling operation in 2011, amassing over 3,000 ancient Egyptian artifacts while evading law enforcement. Dubbed the 'real-life Indiana Jones,' Perry utilized his expertise to reconstruct and disguise artifacts as cheap souvenirs, deceiving customs officers and employing forgery and deception to outsmart authorities. His complex operation involved an Egyptian family of traders and capitalized on the corruption within the Egyptian bureaucracy. Perry's methods included altering artifacts to appear less authentic and forging receipts to support their legitimacy as mere souvenirs. His eventual capture concluded one of the most audacious antiquities smuggling operations in history.

05:02

😎 The Pivotal Role of Frederick Schultz in the Antiquities Trade

Frederick Schultz, a prominent figure in the antiquities industry, played a significant role in the smuggling narrative. As the president of the National Association of dealers in ancient Oriental and primitive art, Schultz was a well-spoken representative who was politically astute and warned his colleagues against legal mistakes. Together with Perry, they devised strategies to make stolen antiquities appear as part of an antique English collection, using old labels and documents to authenticate the items. Schultz's gallery in Midtown Manhattan was a hub for the sale of such items, and he was a key player in the eventual unraveling of Perry's smuggling operations.

10:03

🏺 The Discovery and Smuggling of the PAC Inon Steel

The narrative details the discovery and smuggling of the PAC Inon Steel, a significant artifact that was illegally obtained and sold by Perry. The steel was initially disguised as a cheap souvenir, transported through Cairo's airport to Zurich, and then to the UK. Perry used various techniques to restore and authenticate the artifact, including filling gaps with paste, dipping it in liquid plastic, and using acetone to remove the disguise. The steel was eventually sold to Schultz, who praised its quality and potential value. However, the steel's journey was fraught with mystery, as it seemed to vanish at one point, only to reappear later in a Zurich warehouse.

15:05

📄 The Paper Trail and Legal Tribulations of the Smugglers

Financial documents and a fax from Perry to Schultz reveal the explicit nature of the smuggling operation, with artifacts being openly bought and sold. Perry's legal troubles began after being detained in Britain for illegal antiquity trafficking. Despite high hopes for a significant payout from the sale of the PAC Inon Steel, the artifact never arrived as planned. The paper trail resumes in 1997, showing the steel was processed in a Zurich warehouse before being transported to Geneva. The Phoenix Ancient Art gallery in Geneva, owned by the Motam brothers, was where the PAC Inon Steel was eventually discovered. The gallery catered to high-profile clients and institutions, and the steel's presence there led to further legal repercussions for Schultz, Ali, and Perry.

20:06

🚨 Operation Bullish and the Downfall of the Smuggling Ring

Operation Bullish was the law enforcement initiative that led to the dismantling of Perry's smuggling operation. During a raid on Perry's home, authorities discovered evidence of his planned trips to Egypt, false doors from a looted tomb, and numerous incriminating artifacts. Perry's assistant was traced after sending papyrus writings to the British Museum. The Swiss accomplices of the Farag family were also implicated in the scandal, having fabricated documents to disguise the origin of smuggled goods. Perry was convicted for smuggling and passport fraud, serving three years in prison, while his accomplices received sentences of 10 to 15 years of hard labor.

25:09

🏛 The Trial of Frederick Schultz and the Aftermath

The trial of Frederick Schultz marked a significant moment in the fight against art smuggling, as he was found guilty of conspiring to receive stolen Egyptian antiquities, a first for New York. Schultz was sentenced to 33 months in jail and a $50,000 fine. His conviction was upheld by the United States Court of Appeals and his appeal denied by the US Supreme Court. Perry, now living in Sandwich, England, expressed no regrets and began writing his autobiography. He suggested that he might return to University College London to complete his doctorate on ethics, a stark contrast to his criminal past.

Keywords

💡Antiquity smuggling

Antiquity smuggling refers to the illegal trafficking of ancient artifacts, often involving the theft and sale of valuable items from historical sites. In the video, this concept is central as it details the operations of Jonathan tokley Perry, who is described as having masterminded a bold and ingenious antiquity smuggling operation involving ancient Egyptian treasures.

💡Law enforcement

Law enforcement agencies are governmental authorities responsible for maintaining law and order and enforcing legislation. In the context of the video, law enforcement is depicted as being outsmarted by the smuggling operations, highlighting the cunning and sophistication of the criminal activities.

💡Forgery

Forgery involves the creation of false documents or items with the intent to deceive. In the video, Jonathan tokley Perry is shown to use forgery as a method to alter ancient artifacts, making them appear as cheap souvenirs to bypass inspections and customs.

💡Ancient Egyptian Treasures

This refers to the valuable historical artifacts from ancient Egypt, which are the primary targets of the smuggling operation described in the video. The narrative emphasizes the scale of the operation, with over 3,000 priceless pieces being smuggled.

💡Corruption

Corruption is the dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, often for personal gain. The video discusses a corruption-friendly environment among Egyptian bureaucrats, which facilitated the growth of the phony goods market and the smuggling operations.

💡Acquaintance and Accomplice

An acquaintance is a person one knows, but not well, while an accomplice is a partner in a crime. In the script, Jonathan tokley Perry forms an association with an Egyptian family of traders, who become his accomplices in the smuggling operation.

💡Nationalized Antiquities Trade

This refers to a situation where a government takes control over the trade of its nation's antiquities to regulate and protect them. The video mentions that the Egyptian government had nationalized the antiquities trade, yet a black market thrived due to corruption and the demand for artifacts.

💡Provenance

Provenance is the history of an artifact's ownership, which is important in establishing authenticity and legality. In the video, tokley Perry creates false documents and receipts to provide a fake provenance for the smuggled artifacts, making them appear as legally acquired souvenirs.

💡Operation Bullish

Operation Bullish is the name given to the law enforcement initiative that led to the apprehension of Jonathan tokley Perry and his network. It signifies a turning point in the narrative where the smuggling operation is exposed and dismantled.

💡Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage refers to the legacy of physical artifacts, knowledge, and traditions that a society wants to preserve as part of its collective identity. The video touches on the debate over the ownership and protection of cultural heritage, with tokley Perry arguing that he was preserving these artifacts by selling them to wealthy collectors.

💡In absentia

In legal terms, 'in absentia' means a verdict or sentence is given without the defendant being present in court. The video mentions that some of the accomplices were convicted and sentenced 'in absentia,' highlighting the international nature of the crime and the difficulty in extradition.

Highlights

Jonathan tokley Perry, a former cavalryman and antiquities restorer, masterminded a large-scale smuggling operation of ancient Egyptian treasures.

Perry amassed over 3,000 priceless artifacts while evading law enforcement, earning him the nickname 'real life Indiana Jones'.

He utilized his expertise in restoration to alter the appearance of artifacts, making them appear as cheap souvenirs to pass inspections.

Perry's operation involved a complex network of accomplices, including corrupt bureaucrats and a New York dealer named Frederick Schulz.

He employed forgery, deception, and lying to his advantage, even changing his name from Jonathan Foreman to Jonathan tokley Perry.

Perry's methods included reconstructing artifacts, adding missing parts, and using liquid plastic to disguise them.

He arranged multiple trips between Egypt and Zurich, using a courier to transport disguised artifacts.

A significant portion of the smuggling operation was conducted in a corruption-friendly environment among Egyptian bureaucrats.

Perry would often remove or alter certain traits from the artifacts to avoid detection as stolen goods.

The smuggled artifacts were sold to collectors and institutions, with one piece fetching $1.2 million at auction.

Operation Bullish led to the end of Perry's smuggling activities, with law enforcement discovering his plans and incriminating documents.

Perry and his accomplices faced legal repercussions, with Perry serving three years of a six-year prison sentence in England.

Frederick Schultz, the New York dealer, was also found guilty of conspiring to receive stolen Egyptian antiquities.

The case marked the first time a US court criminalized an antiquities dealer's actions based on a foreign law.

Perry, now residing in Sandwich, England, expressed no regrets and began composing his autobiography.

The smuggling operation and subsequent legal cases had significant implications for the global antiquities market.

Transcripts

in 2011 this man masterminded an

Antiquity smuggling operation so bold

and ingenious that it sent shock waves

around the globe this Mastermind didn't

just loot artifacts he plundered a

fortune in ancient Egyptian Treasures

amassing over 3,000 Priceless pieces all

while remaining a ghost to law

enforcement hailed as the real life

Indiana Jones by the media this Tomb

Raider executed his daring escapades

right under the noses of of Egyptian

customs officers without a hint of

Suspicion but the real story lies in the

Staggering complexity of his operations

how did he manage to execute such a

grand scheme undetected what methods did

he employ to outsmart law enforcement at

every turn and ultimately how was this

criminal virtuoso finally apprehended

this isn't just another smuggling story

it's a riveting Narrative of a criminal

mastermind at work a story woven with

wit skill and icy nerves so brace

yourself for a journey into the heart of

one of the most daring and cunning

Antiquity smuggling operations ever

witnessed so make sure to watch it until

the end who is Jonathan tokle Perry

Jonathan tokley Perry now 72 years old

from winkl Barnstable in Devon is an

Englishman who was a cavalryman in the

military he has a degree in moral

Sciences SL Philosophy from the

University of Cambridge in 19 1974 and

an incomplete doctorate from the

University College in London he moved to

London after receiving his degree to

work as an Antiquities restorer and many

people thought he was the best in his

field Little Wonder he could move to

Egypt and switched to smuggling with the

help of his skills which made him the

best restorer this time he employed the

opposite of his skills abolishing these

artworks so they could pass for mere

souvenirs at the place of inspection

years after after his initial disastrous

attempt at smuggling Antiquities in Rome

in the late 7s he resumed the business

in Egypt where he made connections with

an Egyptian family of Traders the

Egyptian government had already

nationalized the Antiquities trade at

that point but the Antiques Market was

largely unaffected there were still

thousands of items and hundreds of

purchasers this led to a corruption

friendly environment among Egyptian

bureaucrats and the growth of the phony

Goods Market career and accomplice his

operations though seemingly simple were

sophisticated and required skills of

forgery deception and lying Jonathan's

real name was Jonathan Foreman which he

changed to Jonathan toley Perry the

basis of his smutling operation was to

acquire ancient artifacts reconstruct

them by adding the missing parts dipping

the artifacts in liquid plastic leaving

them to dry then painting them with

bright colors and distorting the

writings on the items he even sometimes

goes as far as writing made in Egypt on

some of these items the basic aim of all

these altercations is to make them look

like cheap souvenirs that can easily

pass through inspections and not to

forget he forges receipts for the

purchase of those items to further prove

their authenticity as souvenirs for

tourists and Egyptian

enthusiasts after hiring Perry an

oddball as his Courier for whom he paid

500b per trip he was able to arrange

Seven Trips between June 1992 and

December 1993 from Egypt to a free port

in Zurich tokley Perry demonstrated to

Perry how to wrap Priceless objects in a

unique transparent liquid plastic known

as

b72 later as this solidified the dealer

was able to paint the hieroglyphics

black and embellished the items with

gold relief to make one limestone to

tomb door appear even less authentic the

word Egypt was inscribed across the

bottom it would wind up looking like a

piece that was acquired from a vazar one

of the false doors was so large that

tokle Perry chopped it apart with a

chainsaw and then put it back together

in his Devon Workshop using metal pins

once back in Britain Perry witnessed

tokle Perry return the prized and highly

appreciated antiques to their original

Splendor he says his boss securely

removed the paint and gold leaf by

dipping them in an acetone solution when

tokley Perry recognized that the

artifacts could be readily recognized by

Specialists as stolen goods he

purposefully eliminated certain traits

from them such designer vandalism

meanwhile didn't significantly reduce

their market value when he needed a

fence to be able to sell these stolen

Antiquities he found a New York dealer

named Frederick Schulz tokley would get

money from Schulz to purchase artifacts

in Egypt which Schultz would

subsequently resell from his opulent

Gallery in Midtown Manhattan Schultz

played a pivotal role in the Antiquities

Industries advocacy efforts he was soon

to assume the presidency of the National

Association of dealers in ancient

Oriental and primitive art a prominent

trade Association according to all

accounts Mr Schultz a preppy looking

Princeton Albus whose father had served

as the federal reserve's Deputy chairman

was a well spoken representative of his

sector Not only was he politically

astute but he also forewarned his

colleagues that any bleden mistakes

would Empower their detractors

regardless of the law tokle Perry

alerted Schultz to the insecurity of his

phone lines in

1994 in an additional attempt to get

around the Egyptian law of 1983 Schultz

and tokley Perry stage recently stolen

Antiquities to appear as though they

were part of an antique English

collection

they took prescription labels from the

turn of the century reproduced the

monter Ruff paper baked them in an oven

and then used old tea bags to dab them

then they put tokle Perry's great

uncle's name on them to make the Thomas

Alcock collection tokle Perry emailed

Schultz that he had shipped him two

painted reliefs from the Old Kingdom and

added that the Egyptian authorities knew

the tomb from where the reliefs had come

from therefore he was going to send some

Tom Alcock labels as well one of his

most daring shipments was a 3,00

400-year-old Otep the third Stone head

while laying the foundation for a

multi-story building in

1994 laborers in amim one of the oldest

cities in Egypt located on the Nile

River discovered Antiquated artifacts a

Priceless headstone or death steel from

600 BC was one of the artifacts such a

discovery is legally required to be be

submitted to the Egyptian authorities

for analysis and appropriate excavation

one way or another it got to tokley

Perry's possession for just

$6,000 tokle Perry went back to his

hotel room and set up his n Suite

bathroom as a workshop he used paste to

fill in the gaps in the Statue and then

dipped it in liquid plastic he painted

it with bold colors and large clumsy

brush Strokes once it had dried giving

it the appearance of a cheap souvenir of

itself

he took the head via cairo's airport to

Zurich then to the United Kingdom where

he used acetone to remove its mask and

tea bags and an oven to create documents

attesting to its Provence he had a forge

receipt for the purchase as a souvenir

with no basic training as an

egyptologist Jonathan didn't know what

the actual value of the steel would be

eventually it brought $1.2 million at

auction in the United States in

1993 this piece was later returned to

Egypt in

2008 this same building scenario

happened again and this time the steel

of Pac and cons was Unearthed although

unknown at the time however aware that

this would put an end to their Endeavor

the builders instead went to one of the

most notorious Antiquities traffickers

in Egypt Ali farak Mr Aly farak was a

scrawny man with a full beard who was

heavily involved in the trade of stolen

artifacts

he and his brothers operated one of the

largest smuggling networks in Egypt for

a large portion of the '90s out of the

downtown Caro curio shop that was

converted into a jewelry Bazar the

building was a 19th century Euro Islamic

structure on Market Days Farmers would

stop by to sell items that came from

their Farms leaders of the village and

robbers reported information about fresh

fines without the cooperation of corrupt

government officials who even gave the

Fig's artifacts none of it could have

been possible due to its historical

affluence poverty quick development and

ease of corruption amim has become a

popular destination for Smugglers

seeking new products locations such as

these exist everywhere in the world

certain Nations such as Egypt Italy and

Greece have been providing supplies for

the market for years others have only

recently gained attention such as China

Afghanistan and the former Soviet Union

the trade starts with the poor amateurs

in amim as it does everywhere else late

one hot June night in

1994 Ali farig sat in a car making

strange circles through the dirt Lanes

of acman his eyes covered with a towel

Mr Fark found himself at a work site on

the outskirts of the town when the

automobile came to a stop and the towel

was taken off the amim steel three

smaller Steels a painted wooden

sarcophagus and a few minor figurines

had all been discovered there a few

months prior an intriguing Discovery in

amim yet hardly shocking situated 350 Mi

south of Koo modern amim is a hub for

weaving and trading resembling a

Boomtown along the Nile complete with

apartment buildings and construction

cranes built in a hurry to accommodate

the influx of people from the

surrounding Countryside

however beneath the surface is an

archaeological stack cake that is rich

in remnants of the past early Islamic

Roman Greek and Egyptian layers as well

as everyday items and monuments in the

city that the ancient Egyptians named

after their fertility deity men in

addition the figs provided Builders with

a profitable way around a major issue

what to do with a major archaeological

find that would force the authorities to

close a job site still the builders

realized they had to approach Ali farig

carefully when he arrived in amim in

June

1994 he could negotiate a lower price by

threatening to report the builders to

the authorities if he knew the exact

location of the

artifacts however after the men

assembled at the location and Mr farig

removed his blindfold talk Started Mr FG

was shown the Project's designs and the

locations of the artifacts that were

hidden the Builders demanded only

$70,000 for everything a bridge to the

West is necessary for every local

Smuggler for Ali farig it was Jonathan

tokle Perry our English protagonist in

this story The have been hiding

their most recent discoveries in a flat

in a Cairo neighborhood and tokle Perry

had been a frequent visitor for a number

of years tokle Perry claims that he

first spoke with farig in 1988 at

cairo's former Windsor Hotel tell tokley

Perry who looks like a gorgeous movie

actor with a Cambridge education was in

his late 30s when he traveled to Egypt

to serve as a consultant for a Danish

Merchant he acknowledges that his own

Navy undermined the deal tokle Perry

found an accomplice who gradually taught

him the more intricate skills of the

trade just as farig found his Bridge as

it turned out his peculiar combination

of interests and abilities made

smuggling a natural fit his reputation

as a gifted antique restorer was already

widely

established however he had a somewhat

more elaborate view of himself he

considered himself a relic from the time

when Noble explorers freely traveled the

Exotic East looting Treasures Mr tokle

Perry noted the steel size and crisp

condition as soon as he spotted it

leaning against a wall at the Fig's

secret hideout in Caro he sat on the

dusty floor and looked at the steel

seemingly trans-like trying to figure

out whether it felt true and if any

details were missing as he trolled

around the bare number surface he came

across a classic Memorial scene two

piercing eyes symbolizing the solar

deity Rah and four humanoids approaching

oziris with an altar of offerings tole

Perry identified the Cartage an oblong

sign that is distinctive to Sakai a

pharaoh of the 26th Dynasty whose Reign

started in 600 60 BC among the eight

Columns of hieroglyphics collector's

highly valued items from the era which

saw a major flowering of the Arts then

he carefully examined the way the

Limestone had weathered and the minute

traces made by the sculptor using the

photographer's Loop compared to

contemporary steel chisels ancient

copper instruments produce softer cuts

the satisfying signature of copper was

found on the acman steel but he was also

concerned that it might be as real as

that $20,000 pile of amulets now that

its legitimacy has been verified tokle

Perry is aware that the steel may be

experiencing an additional issue maybe

it wasn't discovered by chance rather it

was taken from a storage facility or a

recognized archaeological site if that

is the case there may be documentation

of it such as a picture or a journal

entry which would identify it and

Destroy its market value one line of

defense was to con an authority such as

Dr Malik an egyptologist at the Griffith

into researching the article Griffith is

the world's preeminent egyptology

repository and like many academic

organizations it is generous with its

knowledge however Smugglers occasionally

take advantage of this kindness and that

is precisely what happened with the

steel therefore the result of that con

exercise showed that it was free from

any archive now the only problem was

exporting it out of Egypt shortly

afterward a letter from tole Perry

enthusiastically reporting the Discovery

at amim emerged from the fax machine at

the galleries of Frederick Schultz

ancient art on 57th Street in Manhattan

he claimed that the PAC incon steel was

the best he'd seen for years on the

market and that it could be purchased

for

$7,000 along with the rest of the Trove

the letter was a notable document

because it stated explicitly what is

typically only implied that artifacts

taken from other people are up for grabs

now that the steel of pacing cons have

been added their portfolio was ready to

expand once more financial documents

show that as a down payment on the

pieces Schultz sent at least

$52,000 to Swiss bank accounts held by

tokley Perry or fak in

1995 in March of the following year

tokle Perry went to Geneva he remembers

that there was one more reason for him

to seal the deal he was accused of

illegal Antiquity trafficking after

being detained in Britain he had high

hopes that the amim steel would result

in a significant payout providing

financial support prior to his legal

trial Ali fary had informed him that the

steel would be arriving in Geneva soon

after two weeks of waiting it never

materialized the following leg of the

Steel's Journey was still unknown and a

half ton of stone appears to have just

vanished for a while tokley Perry was

baffled and unaware of what transpired

maybe there was a double cross somewhere

in the Mist plans undoubtedly change and

a whole new cast of characters emerge

the paper trail resumes in late

1997 when a shipping manifest indicates

the two smaller acum Steels and the PAC

Inon steel had been processed in a

Zurich Warehouse the warehouse was a

component of the vast net network of

facilities known as free ports which

handle enormous amounts of valuable and

typically quite legal cargo such as

antique art tractor parts and machine

parts however the Swiss system of

commercial discretion which overseas the

duty-free ports has contributed to

Switzerland's reputation as a hub for

Smugglers and the steel was once again

in Motion in November

1997 a shipping manifest shows that a

truck from from Zurich to Geneva

transported the three pieces from amim

situated on a narrow cobblestone street

in the heart of Geneva Phoenix Ancient

Art exudes a sense of exclusivity with

its muted display area and gray color

scheme every day one could come across

sculptures of Greek torsos silver ritual

containers from Mesopotamia and jewelry

adorned with lapis Luli inlay the PAC

Inon steel was discovered there in late

19

1997 the gallery is owned by Two

Brothers ay and hitam motam who were

very much on the rise in the highs and

lows of the world of trading the

brothers claimed that their father

bought the steel of pacin and cons and

its two companion pieces from HH

Antiques At the Zurich freep Port the

brothers claim they have no idea who was

behind HH antiques maybe their father

who perished in a 1998 Swiss AV ation

tragedy might have known they were

selling to Big collectors like investor

Michael steinhardt and designer Bill

blast as well as institutions like the

Metropolitan in New York City they

provided artifacts to other dealers in

Europe and America such as Frederick

Schultz and were bold participants in

the auction scene they established a

digital photographic library with an

everchanging inventory of up to 5,000

pieces and launched a gallery in

Manhattan

right off Madison Avenue they went for

$210,000 by the end of the day which is

quite a bit of appreciation for one

piece in a collection that started at

$70,000 after 5 years it had finally

found a new home in a fth Avenue

Apartment directly across from the

Metropolitan Museum of Art this steel

only brought severe legal repercussions

and jail time in return for Schultz Ali

and Jonathan the long arms of the law

operation bullish was the name given to

the operation that saw the end of

Jonathan's smuggling operation when

raiding tokley Perry's home on June 28th

1994 officers from Scotland yards arts

and Antiquities team along with

egyptologists found that he had planned

several trips to Egypt his assistant was

traced to the set home after he sent 27

Papyrus writings that had been taken

from an Egyptian government sto room to

the British museum in

1994 so that a prospective bidder could

verify their authenticity a curator

identified them as being a part of an

earlier discovered cache from an animal

necropolis he notified the Supreme

Council of Antiquities the Egyptian

tourist and Antiquities police the

Egyptian embassy in London and Scotland

Yard the home is near a Manor owned by

Andrew May of North Devon in

1993 Jonathan himself said that an

Egyptian St head valued at

100,000 had been stolen from his

residence photographs paperwork

forgeries and incriminating Antiquities

were found in the estate buildings they

discovered two false doors from the tomb

of atepa a royal hairdresser outside

Caro under the bed in the home scholarly

documents found in tokle Perry's

possession demonstrated that he was

aware of the origins of the doors later

it was discovered that the tomb had been

looted in 1991 when he was in Egypt

several other antiques were found in the

house jonthan himself walked into the

house during the raid and other items

were found on his person which he

claimed he picked up on the desert floor

by lock records recovered at the estate

established Schultz's participation in

the smuggling scheme along with a

network of other collaborators in Egypt

England and Switzerland for instance the

Swiss accomplice of the k based farag

family would fabricate documentation to

make Commodities appear to have

originated in Germany when they were

shipped to Switzerland prior to tokley

Perry's trial in January

1997 the British national asked for his

passport to be returned so that he might

see a former fiance who had lost her

mother in

Switzerland after his scheme backfired

he registered for a new passport using

his real name Jonathan foreman and

closed his Swiss bank accounts with with

it leading the hunt for and prosecution

of tokley Perry and his smuggling

Network dick Ellis reminded the New York

jury of The Smuggler subsequent Antics

in an attempt to evade punishment Ellis

stated that threats were made against

multiple Witnesses in the first tokle

Perry case in England among them was The

Smuggler's antique Courier who was

assaulted outside the courthouse by a

fellow accomplice and bullied throughout

the trial tokley Perry flood to North

Devon before before the prosecution

could wrap up its case in the English

trial checked himself into a mental

health facility and made an attempt at

suicide by consuming con immacula

colloquially known as Hemlock or wild

Hemlock a highly poisonous banial

herbaceous flowering plant native to

Europe and Northern Africa in the summer

of

1997 he had to undergo another trial due

to the temporary paralysis that followed

subsequently 46 6-year-old Jonathan

tokley Perry of winkley barn staple

Devon was found guilty of both smuggling

Antiques and fabricating paperwork in

order to obtain a passport at

nightsbridge Crown Court wearing a blue

jacket and an open neck shirt he stared

up and down at the ceiling and floor as

he was given sentences that ran

concurrently six years for each handling

offense and an additional 8 months for

using fraud to get a passport he served

3 years out of a six-year prison

sentence in England while Egypt

convicted and sentenced him in absentia

to 15 years of hard labor a few days

later accomplices Ali and tutor far

Andrew May and The Courier Mark Perry

were convicted and sentenced to 10 to 15

years hard labor each the Englishmen

were sentenced in absentia and would

serve their sentences if they ever set

foot on Egyptian soil again even though

Egypt has passed legislation labeling

any cultural herit it AG not properly

exported as stolen the court heard tokle

Perry's argument that he was doing the

Egyptians a favor by selling their

Heritage he said the purpose of the lie

was to protect rather than destroy the

fragments of history in his opinion

these items will be taken care of as

long as they are in the center of wealth

and power according to him the Egyptians

are ruining their culture in his opinion

Egypt poses the greatest threat to

Egyptian Antiquities worldwide and any

artifact removed from Egypt is a piece

that has been preserved Frederick

Schultz the dealer from New York was one

of the main backers of tokle Perry's

operations in

1996 he refuted any wrongdoing at the

time and was not prosecuted a paper

trail revealed the American dealer

deliberately funded many of toley's

illegal Perry's operations Ellis

testified later in the New York

prosecution the court was presented with

an example of a trans trans action that

took place in the 1990s Ellis

demonstrated that Schultz had also

acquired a Brisk Limestone nobleman from

tokley Perry during the 6th Dynasty in

1992 he paid the British Smuggler over

$100,000 to acquire the second half of

the statue the following year he offered

it to a Tennessean for nearly $1 million

and to the Brooklyn Museum of Art for

roughly over half a million dollar in

the same year he failed to sell tokle

Perry's most famous smuggling item a

unique sculpture of the Pharaoh Amon

hotep III to museums in Cleveland and

Texas for $2.5

million instead he sold it for $1.2

million in London at last in 2001

Schultz's trial began in New York with a

November 20

2001 hearing about the case's dismissal

the trial started on January 28 after to

the judge dismissed the defense's

January 3 plan Schultz's attorney said

that their client was innocent as he had

purchased antiques from tokley Perry in

good faith after judge rakoff rejected

the defense team's attempts to get the

case dismissed tokley Perry and his

young fiance as well as representatives

of Scotland Yard and the FBI were among

the witnesses who painted a different

picture of the events they displayed

bank statements and correspondence

between between the two individuals that

resembled those between secret agents

which were in code words and commands

and suggested an unethical Business

Partnership in the event that tokle

Perry ever vanished for no apparent

reason he had even written to his mother

suggesting that she might turn to

Schultz for financial assistance one of

Schultz's Stone reliefs was later

discovered by a research associate at

the Brooklyn Museum of Art who concluded

that it had been plundered however the

dealer had just hid hidden it in a fig

family vault in Zurich without any

further sightings Frederick Schultz the

Antiquities Trader and dealer was found

guilty by a federal jury in New York of

conspiring to receive stolen Egyptian

Antiquities a violation of US law this

is a first for New York and the decision

to criminalize an Antiquities dealers

actions based on a foreign law would

undoubtedly cause significant Tremors in

the Antiquities Market Schultz received

a sentence on June 11

2002 that included a $50,000 fine in

addition to 33 months in jail on June 25

2003 the United States court of appeals

for the second circuit upheld the

conviction in response to Schultz's

appeal of the decision a further appeal

was denied by the US Supreme Court this

marked the end of the Court proceedings

against Jonathan tokley Perry and his

accomplices tokley Perry who now resides

in Sandwich close to the English Coast

has no regrets he feels that if he had

carried out his actions a century ago he

would have been easily kned and

respected he has begun composing his

autobiography he says that after there

through he might go back to University

College London to finish his unfinished

doctorate the topic of the doctorate is

ethics and here we've come to the end of

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