On Irving Boulevard in Los Angeles, agents pounded on the front door of a gallery owner, Jonathan Markell, described in search warrants as a central figure in the alleged looting and tax evasion scheme.
Warrants allege that he imported or smuggled in looted objects, then sold them to clients who donated them to museums and claimed inflated tax deductions.
An alarmed neighbor of Markell heard the ruckus and called 911.
Hours later, agents still were going in and out of the house with cardboard boxes and bubble wrap, cataloging documents and objects.
An empty 18-wheel truck sat out front, waiting to be loaded. A separate team was at the couple's art gallery on La Brea Avenue.
Reached on her home phone at 9:20 a.m., Markell's wife, Cari, said: "I have nothing to say right now."
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paloma.esquivel@latimes.com
david.reyes@latimes.com
robert.lopez@latimes.com
Times staff writers Richard Marosi and Jason Felch contributed to this report.
