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January 14, 2008

Boire sentenced for museum thefts

By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG

PLATTSBURGH — Matthew Boire will serving probation and community service for stealing collections from the Clinton County Historical Association.

The former museum board member once again apologized for his actions Monday morning when he was fined and sentenced to three years probation and 300 hours of community service for taking historic artifacts from the association and attempting to sell them on eBay.

“I’d just like to add how sorry I am for my mistakes,” the 25-year-old told Plattsburgh City Court Judge Penelope Clute during his 15-minute sentencing appearance.

“I want to move on from this and make amends as best as I can.”

Boire has appeared in City Court several times since his August arrest for taking Historical Association pieces, keeping them at his Plattsburgh home and later attempting to sell some of them online.

At the time of his arrest, Boire indicated he had planned to donate the proceeds of those sales back to the museum, although he admitted he never turned over the $965 he made off an eBay sale involving an 1800s officer’s saber.

After his two arrests — the second of which was when authorities recovered additional artifacts during a search of Boire’s home — the excised association member was facing three felony and two misdemeanor charges in connection with the missing items.

In late October, Boire pleaded guilty to misdemeanor offenses of petit larceny and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. He admitted that he never had permission to take or sell the artifacts.

His sentencing was previously postponed after questions arose regarding a still-missing late-1800s rifle, a gun of similar make and model to one Boire indicated was in his private collection.

After further research, Boire and his attorney, Stephen Johnston, established the serial number of the missing gun and the one in Boire’s possession were not the same, raising concerns about a portion of his negotiated plea that would require him to pay $700 restitution for the missing weapon.

Representatives from the District Attorney’s Office said Monday that since they could not prove the weapon was in Boire’s possession, they would not request that $700 restitution.

All parties acknowledged that if the gun were later determined to have been taken by Boire, new criminal charges would be lodged against him.

But Boire maintained that “everything that I had in my possession has been accounted for and turned over to the Police Department.”

At the time of his sentencing, Boire had already paid the $965 restitution for the officer’s saber he sold online.

Clute sentenced him to the terms of the negotiated plea, with the exception of the additional $700 restitution order.

In addition to probation and community service, Boire was given a $1,000 fine, which he said he intended to pay following his court appearance.

Historical Association President Roger Harwood, who attended Boire’s sentencing, said he was glad the matter was finally resolved and that Historical Association members could begin to move on from the ordeal.



E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at:

avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com

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