MA Whaling Museum Worker Pawned Rare Artifacts: DA

NEW BEDFORD, MA — A former New Bedford Whaling Museum has been arrested after stealing artifacts and selling them at pawn shops and antique stores, according to authorities.

Robert Burchell, of New Bedford, was arrested Jan. 5 on a charge of larceny from a building, according to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office. A West Bridgewater pawn shop owner tipped police off after Burchell tried to sell a rare artifact, according to reports.

Burchell sold about $75,000 worth of items, according to the DA. He worked at the museum for about two years before his arrest.

The items Burchell sold were all returned to the museum, CEO Amanda McMullen told ABC 6.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum boasts an enormous collection of items — from paintings and journals to tools and even an whaling vessel, the Lagoda — from the whaling era, which was centered in the Buzzards Bay city.