Cengage Advantage Books: Law for Business 19th Edition by John Ashcroft,Katherine Ashcroft,Martha Patterson

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Seven valuable paintings were stolen from the home of Michael Bakwin, including a still life by Paul Cezanne. Sometime later, while cleaning out the loft where a client had been living, attorney Robert Mardirosian found the paintings. Instead of reporting his discovery to the police, Mardirosian shipped the paintings out of the country and sought to have the Cezanne insured in London through a third party. The insurer contacted authorities, who enabled Bakwin to contact Mardirosian's agent. Bakwin reluctantly agreed to convey six of the paintings to the anonymous holder in exchange for the return of the Cezanne. The agreement was executed and the Cezanne was returned. Mardirosian was later discovered and apprehended when he attempted to sell the remaining six paintings. He was convicted of possessing stolen paintings. On appeal, Mardirosian argued that in light of his contract with Bakwin to exchange the paintings, the government could not prove the paintings were "stolen" after a certain date. Did the contract extinguish Mardirosian's offense of possessing stolen paintings?