Suspected Mobster Arrested on Federal Charges

A suspected mobster from Manchester with links to one of the most famous art heists in United States history was arrested again on Friday, almost exactly a year since his release from prison in a separate case.

Robert Gentile was arrested on federal weapons charges Friday and appeared in court before a judge.

Gentile, also known as "Bobby the Cook" and "Bobby the Chef," is suspected of illegally obtaining a firearm and selling it to a convicted murderer, who helped the FBI set up a sting, according to the arrest warrant.

He was arrested Friday morning when he met with his probation officer and remained in custody. Gentile is accused of violating the terms of his supervised release, illegal sale of a firearm to a convicted felon and possession of a firearm.

Previously, Gentile was sentenced in 2013 in a weapons and prescription drugs case that officials said revealed the FBI's belief that he has information about the largest art heist in history at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

While federal prosecutors said that his most recent arrest is solely connected to violation of his supervised release and not the heist, his attorney, Ryan McGuigan said outside of the courthouse that "if this isn't about the Gardner heist, I'll eat my hat."

Gentile was released from prison on April 16, 2014 and is a year into a three-year term of federal supervised release, the warrant stated.

Not long after he was released, he got in touch with an associate of his who he committed crimes with in the past, telling him he had several firearms hidden that the FBI didn't find, according to the warrant. His contact, a convicted felon, told Gentile he needed a gun because someone owed him drug money and was refusing to pay, according to the warrant. Gentile said he'd arrange to get one to him and arranged meetings and coded phone conversations to go over the plans, the warrant stated.

But Gentile's associate turned out to be an FBI informant and had been feeding the bureau information for at least a year. Federal agents outfitted the informant with recording equipment and $1,000 in government money to purchase the firearm from Gentile in a sting operation, according to the warrant. The transaction was arranged for March 2 at Gentile's Manchester home and Gentile unzipped a couch cushion to retrieve a handgun in a blue bag to sell to his associate, the FBI said.

The FBI kept the informant under surveilance after he left Gentile's house until he met with agents to hand off the weapon and equipment, according to the warrant. The gun was a .38 Colt Cobra revolver loaded with five rounds. Since Smith & Wesson ammunition is made outside of Connecticut, Gentile's transaction was considered interstate commerce, the FBI said.

FBI investigators obtained a warrant for Gentile's arrest on grounds that he violated his supervised release when he, a convicted felon, sold a firearm to another convicted felon, according to the FBI.

During a hearing in the prior case, a federal prosecutor disclosed that the FBI believes Gentile had some involvement with stolen property related to the 1990 heist at the Boston art museum. Thieves made off with 13 masterworks by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas and Manet worth more than a half-billion dollars.

As federal prosecutors were detailing the arrest to the judge, they brought up his gun charges and suspected connection to the heist. They referenced a recorded conversation during which Gentile conveyed some kind of knowledge of the sale of paintings from the heist.

He is being held in federal custody until after his detention hearing, which is scheduled for Monday morning at 10 a.m.

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