Federal agents raid Worth Avenue gallery in Palm Beach

At least a dozen FBI and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation agents raided Danieli Fine Art and Galerie Danieli on Worth Avenue on Wednesday morning.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation agents swarmed the fine art gallery, carrying cardboard boxes for evidence gathering.

An employee of a nearby art gallery said she saw at least a dozen authorities inside the gallery before it was boarded up. Even though the incident is unusual to Worth Avenue she said, it won’t affect usual business.

“You never know what people will think,” she said. “Worth Avenue is very prestigious, and it will continue to stay that way.”

Walking along the sidewalk directly across from the gallery, spectators carrying shopping bags from nearby boutiques attempted to peak inside, although its windows are boarded with sheets of tan paper and the building is blocked off by yellow crime tape.

Evidence Response Team and Fine Art Team FBI agents boarded up the windows of the fine art gallery.

Ray Hoffman, a Royal Palm Beach resident who said he visits Worth Avenue at least two times a month and has stopped by the gallery before, was one of the onlookers.

“

I guess I’m disappointed that this would happen in such a high-end wealthy area, but I’m not totally shocked.”

At one point, a group from the Worth Avenue Historic Walk lead by Rick Rose passed the scene.

Residents and shoppers who walked along the sidewalk closest to the gallery were redirected by Palm Beach Police officers, who guarded the scene.

Since around 8 a.m. Wednesday, Palm Beach Police officers have blocked off the left lane of the road, across from the gallery on 226a Worth Ave. Galerie Danieli, a showroom, is two storefronts down at 230 Worth Ave.

The FBI was confirmed to be on the scene along Worth Avenue to conduct “court-ordered law enforcement activity,” said James Marshall, the public affairs specialist for the FBI.

“There is no threat to public safety. No further information is available at this time,” he wrote in an email.

It is unknown if any arrests had been made.

At around 11:45 a.m., two agents loaded a large box the size of a landscape painting in the back of a truck.

Two Palm Beach Police officers were stationed outside of the gallery, as agents frequently entered and exited.

Daniel Bouaziz, the president of the gallery has not yet responded to phone calls or emails.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Federal agents raid Worth Avenue gallery in Palm Beach