| For Stealing
Courbet Mother and Child
Painting Doyle Pleads Guilty So
Sentencing November 9
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
June 23 – Thomas Doyle was
sued for essentially stealing
the Gustave Courbet painting
"Mother and Child on a
Hammock." The civil lawsuit
was filed by Matthiesen Ltd in
the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York on September 25,
2025. Jump cut to
November 13, when Inner City
Press learned that Doyle was
to be presented in SDNY
Magistrates Court on a
criminal indictment. In the civil
case, Matthiesen most recently
asked for permission to
effectuate "alternative
service" on Doyle, saying they
couldn't find
him. Well, he has been
found, and on the afternoon of
November 13 was scheduled to
be presented in SDNY
Magistrates Court. Inner City
Press was there, past 7 pm,
when the AUSA asked for
detention. Doyle took on and
off his reading glasses. The
AUSA said Doyle was living in
his car in a hotel parking
lot; the Federal Defender
insisted he is usually with
his girlfriend in Connecticut.
Judge Tarnofsky first ordered
release on bond right then,
then said to wait until Monday
(no GPS installation on Friday
due to seemingly-ended
shutdown, spillover). Doyle
was led away... Jump cut to May
14, 2026 when the Federal
Defender wrote in asking for a
30 day delay past May 20 for
plea discussions, the third
request for adjournment. On June 23 an
endorsed letter was docketed
setting a change of plea
proceeding for June 26 at 11
am. And it happened:
"THOMAS DOYLE, a/k/a “AJ†or
“Austin Doyle,†pled guilty to
wire fraud in connection with
a scheme by DOYLE to defraud
the owner of the painting
“Mother and Child on a
Hammock†by the 19th-century
French Realist painter Gustave
Courbet. DOYLE was
previously convicted in the
Southern District of New York
in 2011 of a separate
art-related fraud. DOYLE
pled guilty today before U.S.
District Judge Arun
Subramanian and is scheduled
to be sentenced on November 9,
2026." Inner City Press
will stay on the case. The case is USA v. Doyle, 1:25-cr-525 (Subramanian)
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Friday, June 26, 2026
For Stealing Courbet Mother and Child Painting Doyle Pleads Guilty So Sentencing November 9
