Man Charged with Library Art Thefts

Charleston Police have arrested a 57-year-old Meeting Street man and charged him with the theft of seven works of art that were on display at the Charleston County Library on Calhoun Street.

Police arrested Robert Wayne Russell around 4 p.m. Friday, just an hour after library officials gathered the media to discuss the thefts. 

Library surveillance footage reportedly showed Russell roaming the building between July 20 and August 2 with a backpack. Library officials noticed Friday morning that the paintings were gone.

Russell is charged with grand larceny, police said. He is is being held in the Al Cannon Detention Center and faces a bond hearing on Saturday.

Three paintings were stolen on July 30, three on August 1 and one on August 2, said police spokesman Charles Francis. The paintings have a total value of $5,825.

As library officials met with the media to distribute images of the suspect allegedly stealing the artwork, police were canvassing the streets to find the man, according to Francis.

"Police produced a picture of the suspect from the video. Team 2 investigators showed the picture to business owners and a Reid Street business owner recognized the man," Francis said in a news release. "The business owner told police he purchased three of the paintings, but didn’t know the paintings had been stolen."

The three painting have been recovered. Police are trying to find the other paintings. 

The library has temporarily closed its art gallery, which typically showcased local art selected through a jury process, said Douglas Henderson, the library's executive director. 

A security consultant will review the library's security protocol before the artwork is returned and the gallery is re-opened, he said.