Forbes Smiley is scheduled to appear in court today; coincidentally, the New York Times covers the case in today’s edition (free registration required). The article, which sums up what is known to date, notes a couple of things I didn’t know about the FBI’s warnings and investigations: libraries that checked and found maps missing after a visit from Smiley have not be able to tie their disappearance to Smiley (he has not been charged in several incidents); and individuals have been contacted about their purchases. From the article:

As the FBI has made its rounds, not all those individuals asked to surrender objects for inspection have been very good sports, say dealers who have been caught in the middle. Among other considerations, collectors may have to forfeit the maps — or the tax deductions, if it turns out they have donated the documents to libraries or institutions.

Forbes Smiley pleaded not guilty in August. See the Map Thefts category archive for previous coverage of this case.

Update, 11:20 PM: From tomorrow’s New York Times, in the arts briefs, a brief (naturally) update on today’s court appearance (a pretrial conference):

His lawyer, Richard A. Reeve, told a reporter that neither he nor his client would have any statement. The conference, lasting less than 30 minutes, was continued till Nov. 15, Mr. Reeve said. The state has charged Mr. Smiley, a prominent map dealer who lives in the Chilmark section of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., with three counts of larceny stemming from a June 8 visit to the Beinecke. Surveillance cameras captured him removing a map from a Beinecke book, and a Yale detective found valuable maps that appear to be from Yale’s collection in Mr. Smiley’s briefcase and jacket, according to an incident report. In August, Mr. Smiley pleaded not guilty to the state charges. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also investigating the case amid signs that maps are missing at other libraries that Mr. Smiley has visited over the years. “I believe that case is ongoing, and, as such, we are precluded from commenting on it,” said Lisa Bull, a spokeswoman for the New Haven office of the FBI.

Note the ongoing investigation. This may get bigger.