James Meyer, Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property, New York 2014

James Meyer, a former studio assistant to renowned artist Jasper Johns, has pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to engaging in a $6.5 million scheme to sell stolen Johns works. Meyer, 52, of Salisbury, Connecticut, pled guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

According to the indictment, Meyer was a studio assistant for Johns for over 25 years, responsible for maintaining a studio file drawer containing pieces of art that were not yet completed by Johns. Between September 2006 and February 2012, Meyer removed 22 individual pieces of art from the studio file drawer and transported them to an art gallery in Manhattan for the purpose of selling them without Johns’ knowledge or permission.

Meyer represented the pieces as authentic Johns works, given to him as gifts, and provided sworn certifications to the gallery owner and potential purchasers. He also created fictitious inventory numbers and fake pages in a ledger book to give the impression that the pieces were finished works authorized by Johns to be sold in the art market.

During the almost six-year scheme, the gallery owner sold 22 works of art on Meyer’s behalf for a total of approximately $6.5 million, of which $3.99 million was remitted directly to Meyer.

Meyer’s guilty plea comes after an investigation by the FBI, which was praised by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Frey in charge of the prosecution.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 10, 2014, before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

With his guilty plea, Meyer will now have to pay for his decision to steal and sell valuable artworks entrusted to him. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability and the consequences of engaging in such schemes.

Related Federal Cases