CALGARY — A sentence has been delivered in connection with the theft of more than $500,000 worth of art from a local gallery more than three years ago.
Calgary police were first alerted to an incident in May 2018, when a group of suspects broke into the Gerry Thomas Gallery in the Beltline and managed to escape with more than 60 pieces of art.
The total cost of the artwork is estimated to be $500,000.
In the spring, the investigation led Calgary police to arrest Shawn Graham Briscoe in connection with the incident.
Briscoe was convicted and sentenced to a year of house arrest and agreed to return most of the stolen property.
The artist of one of the pieces says while a few were damaged during the ordeal, he's glad that they've been found.
'I had really reconciled myself to never seeing it again," said Ted Knudtson during an interview with CTV News. "To have it so quickly and surprisingly re-enter my life has absolutely blown me away.
"Needless to say, I am over the moon."
He adds that the work is definitely a piece of Calgary history now and is seeking to donate it to the city so it can be placed somewhere for the public to enjoy.
