Historian's Assistant Pleads Not Guilty In Theft

BALTIMORE (AP) -- A presidential historian's assistant charged with conspiring to steal valuable documents from archives throughout the Northeast has entered a not guilty plea.

Jason Savedoff, 24, entered the pleas Friday morning in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

Savedoff and historian Barry Landau are charged with stealing historical documents from the Maryland Historical Society and conspiring to steal documents from other archives. Savedoff was released on bail last month, but had not yet entered a plea. Landau pleaded not guilty and was released.

Prosecutors allege that Landau and Savedoff had about 80 documents when they were arrested at the Historical Society in Baltimore last month. About 60 belonged to the society, including papers signed by President Abraham Lincoln worth $300,000 and presidential inaugural ball invitations and programs worth $500,000.

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