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The Art of Investigation
About our Hosts
Founder and Managing Partner of Odyssey Global Consulting, LLC, Doug Bort spent twenty-one years as a Special Agent with the United States Customs Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Doug is a Subject Matter Expert in the investigation of art and cultural property crimes.
During his tenure with Homeland Security Investigations, Doug represented the United States in international investigations around the world and was heavily involved in United States national policy decisions and international diplomacy. With a proven record of successfully leading complex international investigations, his work has resulted in the recovery and return of over $3 million worth of cultural property to its rightful owners.
Notably, Doug developed and operated an extremely effective undercover platform which targeted the illegal sales of cultural property, art and antiquities, including sales that funded international terrorist organizations. He was also instrumental in cultivating, developing, and conducting training for other Special Agents and law enforcement agencies, both in the United States and abroad, pertaining to the investigation of art and cultural property crimes.
Now in the private sector, Doug uses his vast knowledge and extensive experience to provide expert services to museums, private collectors, insurance companies and other individual clients.
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Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage, the American University of Rome
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Master of Arts in Art History, John Cabot University
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Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Anthropology, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Native to Philadelphia, PA, Melissa Metzgar is a life-long artist with a formal education in art history and cultural anthropology. Melissa has learned from, worked under, and collaborated with international organizations dedicated to heritage crime research and education, such as: Odyssey Global Consulting, LLC; the American University of Rome; the Association for Research into Crimes Against Art; the Alliance for Restoration of Cultural Heritage; the Qatar National Library; King’s College London; the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute; United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs; the University of Glasgow with the University College London; and the International Team for the Study of Security Verona with the United Nations Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate.
Melissa's research centers around cultural heritage trafficked from the Middle East and North Africa, with various other research interests related to cultural property law and legal policy; collections management and ethical stewardship; as well as the impact of the media and accessibility of education. Trained in the trades of provenance research and archival management, Melissa is passionate about the transparency and accessibility of information concerning crimes committed against art and cultural heritage. It is these passions that inspired the creation of the Odysseys in Art Crime podcast alongside Doug Bort.
Doug Bort
Co-Host, Co-Founder
Melissa Metzgar
Co-Host, Co-Founder
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