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2 charged with stealing $10 million in art from Lantana home

Victim's ex-girlfriend among those arrested
Posted at 9:01 AM, Sep 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-28 18:56:56-04

A Lantana homeowner says his ex-girlfriend and another man stole $10 million in artwork, relics and statues from his house.

The owner of the house, Nicholas Zoullas, filed a police report with Lantana police after the theft.

The man's ex-girlfriend, Stacy Cliett, and the woman's companion, Todd Stephens, claimed the art was moved from the home to preserve it because of a mold problem.

However, when Zoullas' attorney asked where they moved it, they refused to provide details, according to a police report.

Using a private investigator, Zoullas was able to locate a home on 23rd Avenue South in Lake Worth where some of the art was being stored. 

Police said surveillance later spotted Stephens and Cliett loading property into a Lexus and leaving the Lake Worth house.

Officers confronted Cliett who told police she was moving some of the artwork to a warehouse.

After interviewing Cliett, she told officers that she loaded a U-Haul truck and parked it in the 1100 block of South Lake Drive in Lantana.

Officer then executed a search warrant at the warehouse and found a large amount of the artwork, sculptures and relics.  In addition, police found crates with shipping labels with Zoullas' name.

Police were able to confirm that a large amount of the art belonged to Zoullas.      

Police arrested Cliett and Stephens in the case, who face charges of grand theft.

Stephens is currently out of jail on a federal bond pending sentencing for conspiracy to commit money laundering, said Lantana police.