Welcome to episode

E-B-Thou 2012 of FBI Retired Case File Review with Jerry Williams.

I am a retired agent on a mission to show you who the

FBI is and what the FBI does through my books, my blog, and my podcast case

reviews with former colleagues.

Today we get to speak to retired agent John Willett,

who served in the FBI for 23 years.

In this episode, John reviews his investigation of Stephen Bloomberg, the most successful

book thief in the history of the United States. John learned about Bloomberg's thefts from FBI informant

Kenneth Rhodes, who has his own very interesting crime story. His investigation led John to Bloomberg's three-story, 17-room mansion in Iowa, packed with antiques

and 23,000 rare books and manuscripts stolen from universities in 45 states and Canada.

Stephen Bloomberg was found guilty on four accounts of possessing and transporting stolen property.

During the trial, the stolen volumes were estimated to be worth $5 million.

However, librarians agree, the collection was priceless.

Bloomberg was sentenced to nearly six years in prison and fined $200,000.

The return of the stolen books to libraries and universities around the country was a major undertaking known as the Omaha Project

led by the Omaha Division's Des Moines resident agency.

John Willett was assigned to the FBI's Detroit Field Office

for his entire career.

Prior to the terrorist attacks of 9-11 he worked cases focused on

interstate theft of stolen motor vehicles, interstate transportation of property,

theft from interstate shipments, drugs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs.

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