Police: Ex-girlfriend stole $10 million in art from Lantana home

Sept. 28--Two people were arrested last week after investigators say they stole more than $10 million worth of art from a Lantana home, according to city police.

Stacy Cliett, 43, and Todd Stephens, 52, both face one charge of grand theft over $100,000. Stephens and Cliett were released from the Palm Beach County jail Saturday on $15,000 bail each, according to court records.

Police noted that Stephens is out on bond for conspiracy to commit money laundering in Federal court. Stephens and 15 others were charged in a "massive" $175 million insurance fraud scheme on Sept. 1.

On Sept. 20, a Lantana homeowner went to police with his lawyers saying his ex-girlfriend had stolen "millions of dollars" in artwork, relics and statues from his collection.

On Sept. 22, the lawyers met with Cliett and her "male companion," Stephens, and showed police all of the artwork was gone. The pair told police that they had to remove the art because there was a mold issue in the home, but refused to disclose the location of where the art was being kept.

Days later, a private investigator contacted police to tell them Cliett and Stephens owned a warehouse in Lake Worth. Another man attempting to serve a federal subpoena to Cliett at the location told police when he looked through the glass door, he saw several pieces of artwork inside. What the subpoena is for is unknown.

Undercover surveillance units that were already in the area kept an eye on the warehouse, according to police.

At one point, the undercover units saw a white man, later identified as Stephens, loading artwork into a Lexus. When police approached that vehicle soon after at a gas station, Stephens told police he was just helping Cliett move the artwork.

Cliett told police she was moving the artwork but did not say where to, according to the report.

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