John Tillmann

For other people with similar names, see John Tillman.
John Tillmann
Tillmann in 2016 shortly after release from a Canadian minimum security prison
Born
(1961-02-24)February 24, 1961

John Mark Tillmann
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
DiedDecember 23, 2018(2018-12-23) (aged 57)
Canada
OccupationArt thief
Known forStealing over 10,000 antiques and art objects

John Mark Tillmann (February 24, 1961 – December 23, 2018)[1] was a Canadian art thief and white supremacist[2] who, for over two decades, stole over 10,000 antiques and art objects from museums, galleries, archives, and antique shops mainly in Atlantic Canada.

Tillmann had an extensive criminal record for obscene telephone calls, shoplifting, threats, and assaults, but his antique thefts eluded authorities for years.[3] He was eventually arrested with stolen property in January 2013, leading to a theft investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) with assistance from Interpol, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).[4][5][6]

Authorities seized over 3,000 artifacts from Tillmann's home in the first week of the investigation.[7] Police closed the file nearly three years later; returning over 10,000 exhibits to their respective owners, including a 250-year-old George Washington spy letter valued at about a million dollars.[8][9] A few weeks following the sensational bust, police ran out of room within their storage facilities to house the enormous amount of artifacts that were being recovered. A secret, climate-controlled warehouse was then rented by authorities to store Tillmann's looted artwork for the next three years. One of several private historical experts brought in by police to assist in the investigation remarked to the Toronto Star newspaper: ″It was incredible...to lay it all out would have taken an airplane hangar. It's an unbelievable collection of materials.″[10]

The eclectic collection included a film prop suit of armor, a 7000-year-old Native American stone gouge, oil paintings and watercolors, tapestries, rare books, sculptures, rare documents, and a trove of other miscellaneous items. Tillmann was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Canadian court on September 25, 2013.[11] The court seized over two million dollars of his assets under the proceeds of crime legislation. Tillmann was released on parole in November 2015, after serving just over two years of his sentence.[4][12] After his death in 2018, at least two people — one a former RCMP constable and the other Tillmann's ex-girlfriend — came forward with stories about Tillmann's alleged extensive history of violence and harassment towards acquaintances, partners, and family members.[13][14]

John Tillmann in Russia 1998
  1. ^ "Infamous Art Thief Dies in N.S." CTV News. February 13, 2019.
  2. ^ Boon, Jacob (August 15, 2018). "Neo-Nazi Art Thief Publishing memoir". The Coast. Coast Publishing Ltd.
  3. ^ Hutchins, Aaron (April 26, 2014). "How the country's most daring antique thief amassed a fortune by thinking small and slow". Macleans.
  4. ^ a b "Closing the book on John Mark Tillmann's stolen antiques". Maclean's Magazine. December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  5. ^ "United Press International". Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  6. ^ "Art Culture Heritage Law". Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "Man Pulled over, Found To Be Prolific Art Thief". Huffington Post. January 24, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  8. ^ "Huffington Post Stolen George Washington Letter". Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  9. ^ "John Tillmann on his criminal history CTV television interview". July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  10. ^ Campion-Smith, Bruce (January 30, 2013). "The Toronto Star".
  11. ^ "ICE returns stolen Charles Darwin book". U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. October 8, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  12. ^ "Culture Crime News". July 12, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  13. ^ Chiu, Elizabeth. "'I feared him': Retired RCMP officer speaks out on death of John Tillmann". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  14. ^ Fisko, Bruce (February 14, 2019). "Ex-girlfriend says Tillmann not a charming art thief, but a 'psychopath'". CTV Atlantic News. CTV Atlantic. Retrieved May 18, 2024.