Coin Thieves Found Guilty Of Fogg Heist

Three men were found guilty last night of stealing $5 million worth of rare coins from Harvard's Fogg Art Museum in what is believed to be the largest art theft in U.S. history.

A middlesex Superior Court convicted Anthony B. Vaglica of Waltham, Carl Dixon of Jamaica Plain, and Louis R. Mathis, from Cambridge of stealing over 5000 ancient Greek and Roman coins on December 2, 1973.

A fourth person, Maria Magna of Cambridge, was convicted as an accessory to the crime.

Daniel Steiner '54, general counsel to the university, said at his home last night that the conviction may help the museum recover the $1 million worth of coins still missing.

Pressure On

"There will be increased pressure on the individuals as sentencing approaches to disclose where the rest of the coins are, "he said.

Steiner said the maximum sentence for this crime is life imprisonment. "Though I haven't spoken to the prosecution I assume that unless the coins are returned, the judge will consider a very serious sentence," he added.

Sentencing is scheduled for tomorrow.

Justice Triumphs

Just as important as the recovery of the coins, Steiner said, is the fact that justice was done for the Fogg nightwatchman, whose life was threatened by the burglars.

"Coins aside," Steiner said, "an employee of Harvard University was put in jeopardy of his life."

Shortly after midnight on December 2, 1973, the burglars told the nightwatchman they had left a package in the museum. When the nightwatchman responded, he found himself under gunpoint. He was then taped and blindfolded, and led up to the third floor coin room where the thieves ransacked the premises for the coins.

Pleased as Punch

Seymour Slive, director of the Fogg, said he was "just delighted at the news" but declined further comment.

Steiner said that though the decision was a long time in coming, "the law authorities dealt with the crime in a very conscientious way."