A reputed Connecticut mobster who has been linked to artwork stolen in 1990 from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston has been arrested on a federal weapons charge.
An attorney for 78-year-old Robert Gentile says his client was arrested Friday in Hartford as he met with probation officials and charged with selling a weapon to an undercover agent.
Gentile was sentenced to prison two years ago in a weapons and prescription drug case that revealed federal prosecutors' belief that he knows something about the heist of artwork worth an estimated $500 million. He has denied having any knowledge of the robbery.
His attorney, Ryan McGuigan, said Friday's arrest is likely related to federal authorities' efforts to compel Gentile to reveal information they believe he has on the artwork.
