Statue believed to depict Marcus Aurelius seized from Cleveland museum in looting investigation

By KAREN MATTHEWS
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A headless bronze statue believed to depict the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius has been ordered seized from the Cleveland Museum of Art. A warrant signed by a judge in New York City this month ordered the seizure of the statue. A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says the warrant was secured as part of an ongoing investigation into a smuggling network involving antiquities looted from Bubon in southwestern Turkey and trafficked through Manhattan. A spokesperson for the museum said Thursday that officials there could not comment on the statue while it is the subject of litigation.