{"id":11476,"date":"2015-04-24T15:02:00","date_gmt":"2015-04-24T22:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=11476"},"modified":"2015-04-24T15:02:00","modified_gmt":"2015-04-24T22:02:00","slug":"studio-assistant-who-stole-jasper-johns-artwork-worth-millions-of-dollars-sentenced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=11476","title":{"rendered":"Studio Assistant Who Stole Jasper Johns Artwork Worth Millions of Dollars Sentenced"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Jasper<\/a>
Colored Alphabet by Jasper Johns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NEW YORK \u00a0– <\/strong>A former studio assistant to artist Jasper Johns<\/strong> was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in prison for his role in the sale of 37 works that the assistant stole from John’s studio on Sharon, Connecticut, officials said.<\/p>\n

James Meyer, <\/strong>53, plead guilty on Aug. 27, 2014 to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods in federal court in Manhattan, officials said.<\/p>\n

\u00a0“Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: \u201cJames Meyer betrayed the trust of his employer, Jasper Johns, by selling, for his own personal gain, works by the artist that were not authorized for sale,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adding, “Thanks to the hard work of the career prosecutors in my office and the FBI, Meyer\u2019s fraud was uncovered and he will now go to prison for his actions.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"james-meyer\"<\/a>
James Meyer (Photo: New York Daily News)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the course of the almost six-year scheme, an\u00a0art gallery\u00a0sold 37 works of art on Meyer’s behalf for a total of approximately $10 million, of which approximately $4 million was remitted directly to Meyer.<\/p>\n

During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken<\/strong> also ordered Meyer, of Salisbury, Connecticut, to pay restitution in the amount of $13.4 million.<\/p>\n

“I destroyed the close relationship that I had with the man who was my mentor, employer and friend since I was 21 years old,” Meyer told the New York Daily News <\/a>while getting choked up. “I took for granted and betrayed someone who will forever have great meaning in my life.”<\/p>\n

According to the indictment and other court records and documents, this is what happened:<\/strong><\/p>\n