House Painter Accused of Art Thefts from NY Estate
- May 06, 2013 22:09
A Pennsylvania man hired as a house painter has been accused of stealing 6 artworks from a New York City area estate. He is being held on a $1 million bond after his arrest.
Joselito Vega, 42, of Easton, Pa., was indicted Monday on money laundering, identity theft and other charges related to the stolen artwork.
The Schulhof Estate in Kings Point, N.Y., holds about 300 American and European post-war and contemporary artworks amassed by the late Rudolph B. and Hannelore B. Schulhof..
An inventory showed that some works were missing. Video surveillance later revealed the theft.
A few works have been recovered, including "Le Fauteuil II," by Jean Dubuffet, valued at $50,000. It was sold for $8,500 by an auction house in California.
Among the other alleged thefts, totaling about $100,000, a Picasso etching was also taken.
Vega faces charges in Brooklyn and Nassau County.
_-Closing-the-Distance_100x100_c.jpg "Lot 204: Bob Kuhn (1920–2007),Closing the Distance, 1977, acrylic on masonite, 24 x 48 in, Sold: $409,500")
