Michael Ford, Diary Theft, Boston MA, 2023

BOSTON – A former Cambridge man has been locked up for 16 months after selling a stolen diary from Boston’s historic Old South Church. Michael Ford, 66, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole to serve half of his sentence in jail and the other half in community confinement.

Ford pleaded guilty in November 2014 for using the identity of another man in August 2008 when he sold the diary, which is a historical document from 1652, to Gray Booksellers in Harvard Square for $750. The diary contained unpublished sermons and had been stolen earlier that summer.

Within 40 minutes, Ford cashed the check at a local bank using the stolen driver’s license as identification. Gray Booksellers later sold the diary to a collector in Rhode Island for $40,000 but repurchased it upon discovering its theft from the Church.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and various law enforcement officials announced the sentence today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

The Old South Church diary is a treasure trove of historical significance, and its recovery and return to the Church were instrumental in this conviction. The sentence handed down sends a clear message that theft and fraud involving historical artifacts will not be tolerated.

“This sentence serves as a reminder that we will hold accountable those who profit from the illegal trade of stolen history,” said Ortiz. “The Old South Church is relieved to have this important piece of our heritage returned.”