25 Investigates learns about Brian Walshe’s criminal background as search continues for his wife

25 Investigates learned that there is an ongoing effort to find items Brian Walshe, husband of missing Ana Walshe, may have thrown away in bins or dumpsters during his travels.

Brian Walshe was under federal house arrest when his wife went missing and police have been able to follow his every move because he wears GPS tracking advice.

Ana Walshe, 39, of Cohasset, was last seen around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1. She has three young children between the ages of two and six.

The husband of Ana Walshe, 46-year-old Brian Walshe, was arrested on Sunday for misleading police in their investigation into her disappearance, the DA’s office said. He faced a judge Monday and was ordered held on $500,000 bail.

During the court hearing, Assistant District Attorney Lynn Beland told the judge that a blood-covered knife and other bloody spots were found in Ana’s home following a search over the weekend.

Surveillance video from inside a Home Depot in Rockland also showed Brian buying a tarp, mops, tape, and other cleaning supplies, Beland added.

According to Cohasset Police Chief William Quigley, a family member last saw her in her Cohasset home between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day. There is no indication she ever arrived at the airport and Walshe’s cellphone, credit and debit cards have been inactive since her disappearance on Jan. 1.

Brian and Ana’s employer reported her missing three days later on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

Troopers and Cohasset police officers could be seen filing in and out of the Walshe’s home on Sunday when a search warrant was executed. Three children were also spotted being shuttered into cars that then drove away from the house. Ana and Brian Walshe have three children together.

According to a law enforcement source, the couple’s three boys are now in state custody.

A spokesperson for the Cohasset Police department told Boston 25 News on Saturday that detectives from the town’s police department and Massachusetts State Police arrived in Washington D.C. Saturday before returning Sunday.

Bojana Bogosav, a news editor in Ana’s homeland of Serbia, told Boston 25 that concern has been growing among family and friends.

“This is a big story here because a woman from Serbia goes to America, living the American dream, and after that, she disappears, she has a husband, but the husband is very mysterious because he was arrested,” Bogosav said.

Brian previously pleaded guilty in federal court two years ago after prosecutors say he took two Andy Warhol paintings from a friend in South Korea, put the authentic art for sale on eBay, then delivered fake paintings to a buyer for $80,000. He is on house arrest pending the outcome of that case.

Brian’s recent arrest in his wife’s disappearance is a violation of the federal case and if he posts bail federal authorities can grab him before he gets out.

Sources tell Boston 25 Investigative Reporter Ted Daniel that Brian Walshe lived an affluent lifestyle. He used to host dinners for groups in Boston that cost $20,000 and more. According to sources, Walshe claimed to have made his money creating a software program in college.

Brian is due back in court at a later date.

An investigation by Cohasset and Massachusetts State Police into the disappearance of Ana remains open and ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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