FBI finds new lead in Gardner Museum Heist

(NECN) - Over two decades after the infamous Gardner Museum Heist, the FBI claims to have new details on where the art went after it was stolen and who is responsible. But so far, they're not ready to reveal any of that information.

"I think [the FBI] doesn't want to spoil it at this point," said Milton Valencia, a reporter for the Boston Globe who has been covering the story. "They don't want to rattle anybody. They want to keep it a smooth process and hope they can just find this trail that the paintings were on."

As for the accusations that the heist has ties to organized crime, Valencia thinks the FBI has found validity in that.

"We've had this line of inquiry for years, where it went from Dorchester to Connecticut to Philadelphia, and it seems to always have this same key group of people that are involved, all with ties to organized crime," Valencia said.

With the FBI hot on their trail, the hope is that the paintings can be brought back to the Gardner Museum safely and with minimal damage. Valencia says such a success is a real possibility.

"You can see the depth of what we're actually talking about here - these are priceless works, historic works," Valencia said. "Even the people who took them recognize the value of them, and these works were cut from their frames, but they were cut precisely and meticulously. I think someone knows what they're dealing with and they don't want to ruin that either."

See NECN's full interview with Milton Valencia in the video above.