"The tab jumped", the incredible ant theft of 948 coins from the National Historical Museum

Esteban Mikkelsen Jensen

11/10/2020 6:01 AM

• Clarín.com

• Police

Updated 11/10/2020 6:01 AM

Almost 200 years ago, on a diplomatic mission to Europe, Bernardino Rivadavia and Manuel Belgrano agreed to purchase a collection of coins.

In September 1823, the Government of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata acquired them.

What the two patriots would never imagine is that this cultural heritage would end up in the hands of unscrupulous employees of the National Historical Museum, who would sell it at a reasonable price in different numismatic stores in the city of Buenos Aires between February 11 and February 7. March 2020.

What these workers did not have is that in some of those shops they would notice that the valuable and old stolen objects belonged to the museum, for which they were arrested and processed, although they were released.

The Justice attributes to the employees José David Melissare (59), his son Jonatan (31) and Cristian Basso (42) the theft under the "ant" modality of

Eliana Galisteo (31), sister-in-law of a site worker, is also charged for its subsequent commercialization.

​

The pieces were kept in the reserved area of

, with restricted access, on the ground floor of the museum on Defensa 1600 Street, within Parque Lezama, in San Telmo.

The coins stolen from the National Historical Museum that were recovered.

Of this number they managed to recover 621, so there is still 327 to be found. The sales of these pieces generated a total economic revenue of 547,500 pesos and 2,700 dollars, although according to sources they have

.

The collection had been bought "to achieve international support for the incipient process of formation of our National State," according to numismatic expert Damián Raimundo Salgado.

Later it was enriched with a donation of coins of Greek origin and another collection from Manuel Ricardo Trelles, the founder of the General Archive of the Nation.

For this reason, it is considered that "it has

".

The case was investigated by federal prosecutor Guillermo Marijuan and federal judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral.

In the prosecutions it was determined that there were six operations for the sale of coins and a seventh attempt that resulted in the end of the band, since the collector warned that they were coins from the National Historical Museum and filed the complaint.

The Melissares used names and provided false ID numbers to carry out the operations.

The only defendant who agreed to testify was Basso, who worked in the museum's maintenance area since 2009: "The truth is that I don't know anything, the truth is that I don't understand why I'm here, I

"he said. 

National historical museum.

Photo Juan Manuel Foglia.

José Melissare, meanwhile, was in charge of the maintenance area between 2008 and 2017, whose position was later occupied by a former brother-in-law, and he had more than 20 years of experience in the museum.

In the wiretaps ordered by the investigators, a March 6 dialogue between Jonatan Melissare and his wife, who had been charged at first but was later dismissed, reveals the maneuver and talks about making spare parts in his house with the loot of the coins:

-JM: It's a beautiful week that's coming ... now you know what I wanted to do, go to Sanitarios M ... and buy two more boxes so we do the whole side of the house, I was going to tell Gastón that I worked the weekend.

-Wife: Good.

-JM: Do you think?

-Wife: Yes.

-JM: And then now we're going to have to do a stand-up, because I was talking to my old man and I say no, I'm going to have to do a stand-up, because it will raise a lot of suspicions now.

Like I can say that I took out a loan and to hell, nobody asked me anything, but now the money I make from now on, this is the last money I am going to spend.

The coins stolen from the National Historical Museum that were recovered.

The following day, March 7, the Federal Police, through the Department of Protection of Cultural Heritage-Interpol, raided the museum.

Then Melissare called his wife and said: "

."

-JM: It is seen that the card jumped.

-Wife: Oh, really?

-JM: So I disappeared everything.

Make sure there is no bag, nothing that has been left hanging around, just in case.

-Wife: Oh, fuck me, the fucking mother, and now what are they going to do?

-JM: I don't know, they didn't tell us anything, but the director is there, everyone is there.

They are checking cameras.

-Wife: Oh.

-JM: And the kid sent me a message, everything rotted.

The coins stolen from the National Historical Museum that were recovered.

In another conversation that was recorded, his co-worker Cristian Basso warns Jonatan Melissare: "

".

And in a text message sent to the cell phones of both, they warn them: "

!".

The investigators credited the participation of the Melissare and Basso in the maneuver.

In another listen, Jonatan Melissare talks about dividing the profit of "400 lucas" for the commercialization of 330 coins "between my old man, Cristian and me".

Basso, in his investigation, excused himself in that he used to lend his cell phone to his co-workers because he had "free subscription."

And regarding the expression "

", he argued that it was because he had been "outside the museum" with a security employee with whom he had a relationship of lovers, a not very credible version.

The three accused workers were charged with "

" and "

", a crime with a stipulated penalty between 3 and 10 years in prison.

Galisteo was prosecuted for trafficking, not for theft.

In addition, the four were seized until they covered the sum of 3,000,000 pesos.

The three employees of the National Historical Museum arrested for the theft of 948 ancient coins.

His prosecutions were confirmed last month by Buenos Aires federal chambermaids Martin Irurzun and Mariano Llorens.

¿

?

Because Justice considers that "the defendants have remained in law since they recovered their freedom" and there is "no indication of risk of flight or obstruction of the process."

In this same museum, an enameled gold watch that belonged to Manuel Belgrano was stolen in 2007.

Although they identified the Baldos as responsible, he never appeared.

Due to the lack of 327 coins, Interpol launched a national and international alert that is still in effect.

However, the researchers believe it is unlikely that they can be commercialized as they are a hot iron.

The watch that belonged to Manuel Belgrano was stolen and never appeared.

The six operations

1) -February 14:

133 coins at 200 thousand pesos in Corrientes at 800.

2) -February 17:

5 coins at 15 thousand pesos in La Pampa at 2400.

3) -February 20:

100 coins at 60 thousand pesos and 800 dollars in Corrientes at 800.

Interpol maintains a national and international alert for coins stolen from the National Historical Museum that have not yet been recovered.

4) -February 20:

19 coins at 30 thousand pesos in Corrientes at 700.

5) -February 26:

175 coins at 82,500 pesos and 1,900 dollars in Corrientes at 800.

6) -6 March:

189 coins at 160 thousand pesos in Corrientes at 700.

All these coins were returned by the merchants who had acquired them in good faith, according to the researchers.

Interpol maintains a national and international alert for coins stolen from the National Historical Museum that have not yet been recovered.

EMJ

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