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The two men, Benjamin Amadio and Ralph Kennaugh, are now suspects, the Associated Press reports; the Monterey County Sheriff’s department believes they may be involved in a “criminal enterprise,” as they have been unable to provide proof, including insurance papers and the names of those who sold them the art, that the works even exist.

The last time the work was appraised, according to Amadio and Kennaugh, was in 2002. The collection’s work was valued at $27 million, but is believed to be worth much more today — a single Jackson Pollock piece alone could total up to $40 million.

The owners allege that the sheriff’s office has botched the case, saying they themselves have no motivation to invent the story, as the work was only insured for $72,000 and they would have earned much more for its sale. However, authorities have grown suspicious over the duo’s reluctance to cooperate and the unavailability of evidence.

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