Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen Artwork
Leon Zinder, a 48-year-old resident of Queens, New York, has pleaded guilty to selling stolen artwork worth over $600,000 from a prominent New York collection.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Joon H. Kim, Zinder stole more than 70 works of art from his former employer, a New York-based company that manages an extensive art collection, between July 2010 and April 2012.
Zinder then sold or attempted to sell the stolen artwork through a consignment relationship with an art dealer who conducted his business through an outdoor flea market in lower Manhattan between September 2015 and October 2016.
The stolen artwork included a Fang Reliquary Guardian Head statue valued at approximately $85,000, a Native-American Mask valued at approximately $75,000, and a Pende mask valued at approximately $5,000.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, nearly all of the stolen works have been recovered and will be returned to their rightful owner.
Zinder faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the defendant’s gross gain or twice the victim’s gross loss resulting from the defendant’s conduct, whichever is greater.
Zinder will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood on a date to be determined.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
White Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar Crime