Florida Man Arrested on Charges of Selling Stolen Art and Selling Forged Paintings for Millions of Dollars

A Florida man was arrested this morning pursuant to a federal indictment that alleges he sold paintings stolen from a Los Angeles art gallery, and that he had sold forged artworks to a collector with false claims that they had been painted by esteemed artists.

Matthew Taylor, 43, of Vero Beach, Florida, was arrested without incident this morning by special agents with the FBI. Taylor, who formerly worked as an art dealer, is expected to make his initial court appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Fort Pierce, Florida.

A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted Taylor last week on seven felony charges related to art theft and a long-running fraud that targeted a Los Angeles art collector.

The indictment charges Taylor with defrauding the art collector victim out of millions of dollars by selling him forged art works. Taylor allegedly sold the collector more than 100 paintings—including paintings that he falsely claimed were by artists such as Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko—for a total of more than $2 million. The indictment alleges that Taylor altered paintings from unknown artists to make them appear to be the products of famous artists, and then sold the bogus artwork to the victim at prices exponentially higher than their actual worth.

To conceal the true nature of the paintings, Taylor allegedly put forged on the paintings and painted over or otherwise concealed signatures from the actual artists. The indictment also alleges that Taylor created and put onto the paintings fake labels which falsely represented that the artworks were once part of prestigious art collections at famous museums, including those of the Museum of Modern Art in the New York and the Guggenheim Museum.

Regarding the alleged art heists, the indictment accuses Taylor of stealing a Granville Redmond painting called “Seascape at Twilight” from a gallery in Los Angeles. Taylor later sold that painting to a different gallery for $85,000, falsely claiming that his mother had owned it for several years. The indictment also alleges that Taylor stole a separate artwork—a painting by Lucien Frank titled “Park Scene, Paris”—from the same gallery in Los Angeles. Taylor was seen several years later in possession of the stolen Lucien Frank painting at a gallery in Vero Beach.

The indictment further alleges that Taylor laundered and transferred across state lines some of the proceeds from his fraud on the collector victim—specifically, $105,000 that Taylor had taken from the victim by selling him four forged paintings in September 2006.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in court.

The indictment charges Taylor with three counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of possession of stolen property. The mail fraud charges each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, and the remaining counts each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years. Therefore, if he is convicted of all seven counts in the indictment, Taylor faces a maximum possible sentence of 100 years in federal prison.

Based on evidence collected throughout this case, investigators believe there are additional victims of art fraud related to Taylor’s activities. Individuals who purchased art from Taylor and believe they may have been defrauded should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Los Angeles at (310) 477-6565 or the Los Angeles Police Department’s Art Theft Detail at (213) 486-6940.

(A photo of Taylor is below for the purpose of potentially identifying additional victims.)

The ongoing investigation into Taylor is being conducted by the FBI’s Art Crime Team, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Art Theft Detail, and IRS – Criminal Investigation.

Schools Close for the Summer

As the school year comes to a close in Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie counties, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Treasure Coast Community Traffic Safety Teams (CTSTs) remind motorists and students to take extra traffic safety precautions during summer break. During the summer children are at increased risk of transportation related injuries from pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle crashes. FDOT and the CTSTs offer the following tips for making summer safer for motorists and students.

Tips for Motorists

• Slow down and obey all traffic laws, speed limits and traffic signals.
• Keep an eye out for children walking, skating or bicycling in the street, especially where there are no sidewalks.
• Be alert for children playing and for those who may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
• When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch for children walking, biking skating or skateboarding.

Tips for Parents

• Be a good role model. Always buckle up in the car, always wear a helmet when biking, and always follow pedestrian safety rules.
• Supervise young children as they are walking, biking or skating.
• Provide your children with bright clothing so motorists can easily see them.
• Make sure that your child is properly buckled up in the appropriate child safety seat and in the back seat. Safety experts advise that all children under the age of 12 should ride in the back seat.
• Make sure that your teen driver understands and obeys all state traffic laws.

Tips for Students

• Always buckle up when riding in a car. Always ride in the back seat. It’s the safest place for young people.
• Always wear a helmet and follow traffic safety rules when riding your bike.
• Learn and practice the safety rules for pedestrians. It’s extremely important for you to use the sidewalk when available, look left-right-left when crossing the road, and always walk facing traffic.
• Always cross at crosswalks, obey all traffic signs and traffic lights.
• Teen drivers should avoid speeding and minimize distractions (texting, talking on cell phones, eating, adjusting the radio) while driving. Never overload your vehicle. Require everyone riding in your vehicle to use a safety belt.
• Teen drivers should be a good role model for your younger brothers and sisters and friends, and help them learn and follow vehicle safety rules.

“A very grave scenario.” “Very catastrophic.” That is how Federal officials are describing the situation developing in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig sunk off the coast of Louisiana last week.

Some estimate that 210,000 gallons of oil are spilling into the Gulf every day – resulting in a slick roughly the size of the state of West Virginia.

Oil has already washed ashore the coast of Louisiana and a state of emergency has been declared in several of Florida’s Panhandle counties.

Now is the time to act and protect our coasts.

Offshore drilling is a threat to our state’s economy and environment and I’m the only candidate in this race who has been consistently against its expansion. In the wake of the oil spill, Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio are finally changing their stances on drilling, but it is too little, too late.

Today, I am calling for a moratorium on expansion of oil drilling in the Gulf and off the shores of Florida. Join with me today.

Click here to sign our petition right now and stand with me in demanding Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio call for a moratorium on expansion of oil drilling in the Gulf.

Expanded drilling won’t solve our energy problems. It will only increase the chance for accidents that cost Florida families their livelihoods.

I will continue to fight to protect Florida’s economy and deal with the aftermath of this disaster, but we need to send one loud and clear message today.

Sign my petition and let’s tell Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio that we aren’t going to take any more chances with our state’s environment or economy.

I need your help right now.

Sincerely,

Kendrick Meek

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported today that a Muslim university professor has been appointed to the Jacksonville, Fla., Human Rights Commission despite a prolonged smear campaign by the anti-Islam hate group ACT! for America, whose leader says Muslims should not be allowed to hold public office.

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Parvez Ahmed, a professor at the University of North Florida, was appointed to the commission by a 13-6 city council vote last night after being subjected to weeks of smears based on his previous community activism and his political views. [Ahmed is a past national board chairman of CAIR.]

As the city council began discussion of the nomination, one of its members called Ahmed to the podium and asked him to “say a prayer to your God.” The same council member also asked Ahmed if the session’s opening prayer offended him. When asked why that was relevant, the council member claimed Ahmed “would be offended by a prayer to Jesus, and therefore was not suitable to serve on the commission.”

The Florida Times-Union newspaper reports that the council member’s inappropriate line of questioning “produced gasps from the audience, concern from one of the city’s top attorneys and sharp rebukes from his fellow council members.”

SEE: Ahmed Nomination Sails Rockily to Jacksonville Council Approval

During the weeks-long smear campaign against Ahmed, another city council member was asked, “Do you believe Muslims should be able to hold any public office in Florida?” He responded: “I don’t know.”

SEE: Controversial Florida Politician Unsure if Muslims Should Hold Public Office

“The Florida Muslim community applauds the Jacksonville city council for standing up to the hatred and bigotry promoted by a tiny minority of fear-mongers,” said CAIR-Tampa Executive Director Ramzy Kiliç. “This incident is further evidence of the unfortunately growing ‘Islamophobia machine’ in our nation that targets any Muslim who seeks positive civic participation.”

SEE: Georgia Church Sign Condemns Muslims (CBS)
CAIR-CAN: Anti-Islam Graffiti Found Near Canadian Mosque

He said the leader of ACT! for America, the hate group that campaigned against Ahmed’s nomination, claims an American Muslim “cannot be a loyal citizen” and that Islam is the “real enemy.” Brigitte Gabriel once told the Australian Jewish News: “Every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim.”

When asked whether Americans should “resist Muslims who want to seek political office in this nation,” Gabriel said: “Absolutely. If a Muslim who has — who is — a practicing Muslim who believes the word of the Koran to be the word of Allah, who abides by Islam, who goes to mosque and prays every Friday, who prays five times a day — this practicing Muslim, who believes in the teachings of the Koran, cannot be a loyal citizen to the United States of America.”

SEE: A Case Study in Sincere Hypocrisy: Brigitte Gabriel

Gabriel also stated: “America and the West are doomed to failure in this war unless they stand up and identify the real enemy: Islam.”

SEE: Islam’s March Against the West

One of ACT! for America’s Florida representatives recently bragged in a YouTube video that he desecrated the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, and urinates in the washing stations Muslims use to perform their ritual ablutions (wudu) for prayer.

A complaint has been filed with the FBI alleging harassment of Florida Muslims by ACT! for America.

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Judyth Piazza chats with Norman A. Green, Attorney at Law, Vero Beach, FL on The American Perspective Radio Program (Click here to Listen)

Norman A. Green graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1969. He was admitted to practice in Pennsylvania in 1970, Florida in 1974, and Colorado in 1991. He is also admitted in the Federal Courts in Florida.

Mr. Green was an Assistant District Attorney from 1970 to 1974 in Pittsburgh and from 1975 to 1977 in Vero Beach, Florida. Since that time, Mr. Green has continually defended citizens accused of crime throughout Florida and many other states. Mr. Green was an organizer of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and has been on the Board since its inception.

Mr. Green was the first president of the Indian River County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and is the past president of the Indian River County Bar Association.

Green & Metcalf P.A.
(772) 569.1001
1245 20th Street
Vero Beach, FL 32960

http://www.greenandmetcalflawofficepa.com/

The American Perspective is a cutting edge radio program that is full of inspiration and information which airs on WTTB News Talk. It`s intended to help people succeed in life. Each week the American Perspective features celebrity guests from around the nation such as Zig Ziglar, Maya Angelou, Yolanda King, Billy D. Williams, Tony Little, Mark Victor Hansen, Dean Koontz, Dave Ramsey and many many more.

“It`s the next generation of Inter-tainment”

For More Information: www.thesop.org