A Boston contractor is embroiled in allegations of swiping more than 100 pieces of valuable art from the home of a 92-year-old Newton woman. The contractor, Brandon Campbell, faces multiple charges including larceny and forgery of a document after Sheila Robbins children accused him of lifting the artworks, collectively worth upwards of $100,000, according to NBC Boston.
Assigned for cleanup at Robbins' home following a sewage backup, Campbell now contends, through his attorney, that the purloined pieces — some dating back over a century — were spoiled by contamination and required removal. The Robbins' family, however, strongly disputes this claim, with Melanie Steffen, Robbins' daughter, cited by NBC Boston stating the value of the stolen artwork.
An art dealer's keen eye sparked the unraveling of the alleged heist. Recognizing a familiar landscape painting listed by an Essex auction house, Charlie Vogel, who specialized in 19th-century White Mountain artists, acted on his gut — paintings belonging to his friend Sheila Robbins were not for sale, at least not to his knowledge. In an account documented by The Boston Globe, Vogel's ensuing conversation with Robbins confirmed the suspected foul play: the artworks had been taken without her knowledge.
Newton Police Department's investigation into the matter led to Campbell's arraignment earlier this month, where he pleaded not guilty. Despite Campbell's bail set at $500 and his attorney, Dennis McMahon, denying the accusations and purporting a contractual agreement for damaged property removal, the Robbinses are unwavering in their stance. Jonathan Robbins, in a statement obtained by The Boston Globe, dismissed the implication that his mother would authorize such a significant loss of artwork.
The Robbins family, who had collected these artworks over decades, valued their collection not for fame or esteem but as preservers of what they saw as permanent records of civilization, as relayed by Sam Robbins in a 2016 interview with The Boston Globe. Now, with pieces returned to them showing no evidence of damage, the question looms large over the veracity of Campbell's explanations and the fate of the Robbins' art legacy.
