By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 20 – Inigo Philbrick was charged with art fraud, with a link to Angela Gulbenkian.
On November 18, 2021 Philbrick pleaded guilty to one count, and to forfeit $86 million, before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Sidney H. Stein. Inner City Press live tweeted it here and below
From Nov 19, 2021: now guilty plea by art dealer Inigo Philbrick, linked to... Angela Gulbenkian, of UNSG Antonio Guterres hidden CEFC China Energy bribes fame. Here's "MADE IN DECEPTION – GULBENKIAN AND PHILBRICK"
Note: "The Gulbenkian foundation in Portugal were keen however to distance themselves from the debacle" - kind of like Gulbenkian foundation and UN briber CEFC China Energy, or UNSG Antonio Guterres so keen to distance he bans Press, here
On May 23, Philbrick was returned to Judge Stein's courtroom to be sentenced, brought in by two US Marshals. Philbrick was sentenced to 84 months in prison. The gallery was full and Inner City Press was there and live tweeted, thread here
AUSA: I just looked at the 302 from the flight from Vanuatu. He was blaming it on Robert Newland. Later we tried to corroborate things. We offered him a plea without the mandatory minimum for aggravated identity theft.
AUSA: To prosecute Robert Newland, we do not anticipate calling Mr Philbrick as a witness. [From the docket: the US "is seeking Newland's extradition from the UK."]
On September 23, 2022, the day after he arrived by extradition, "ROBERT NEWLAND, the business partner of art dealer INIGO PHILBRICK, who specialized in post-war and contemporary fine art with galleries in London, United Kingdom, and Miami, Florida, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Sidney H. Stein to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for perpetrating a multi-year scheme to defraud various individuals and entities in order to finance PHILBRICK’s art business. NEWLAND, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was arrested in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2022, and extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States on September 22, 2022."
On September 11, Newland's lawyers filed a 73 page sentencing submission asking for no jail time at all - "a lengthy period of home confinement in concert with community service." Amid redactions, it describes the Lego in Rob's house. It asserts that Philbrick will serve only 58% of his 84 month sentence.
On September 20, Newland was sentenced to 20 months in prison starting December 1 - possibly to be served in the UK. His lawyer asked for designation to Allenwood Low, saying there is an immigration facility there. Judge Stein replied that he does not recommend particular facilities. Inner City Press live tweeted, thread here:
Judge: Philbrick did bad things, I get it. Defense: Read his letters of support. The art world loves him. AUSA: We want a meaningful prison sentence. Judge: Meaning what?
AUSA: Less than Philbrick is OK.
Newland apologizes, and cries. Judge: The guideline is 121 to 151 months. I sentence you to 20 months.
There's more: Judge recommends that DOJ consider for Newland the International Prisoner Transfer protocol, to the UK. So community service in UK?
More details on Substack here
The case is US v. Philbrick, 20-cr-351 (Stein)
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