A New Mexico resident has been sentenced for stealing century-old documents from the Montana Historical Society. Brian Anthony D’Ambrosio, 50, of Santa Fe, admitted to taking items, including letters by Nancy Russell, wife of Western artist Charlie “C.M.” Russell. He sold these on eBay for profit.
D’Ambrosio received a six-month prison sentence followed by one year of supervised release and was fined $4,000. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the case and ordered $22,508 in restitution. The court allowed D’Ambrosio to self-report to prison.
U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich stated, "D’Ambrosio’s actions were intentional and calculated—designed to steal Montana’s cultural treasures so he could profit." Laslovich emphasized that the theft affected all Montanans as these documents are deeply rooted in their history.
The government reported that D’Ambrosio targeted valuable artifacts during his supposed research at the Montana Historical Society between April 2022 and September 2023. These included documents related to Charles M. Russell worth over $5,000 each.
The Montana Historical Society expressed concern about the theft's impact: “Your actions forced us to implement stricter rules regarding access and use of historical documents."
An undercover FBI agent confirmed D’Ambrosio's involvement by posing as a buyer on eBay where he attempted to sell the stolen items.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigations conducted by the FBI Art Crime Team and Helena Police Department.