Feds: Former Birmingham art dealer defrauded 10 people in $1.5 million scheme
(CBS DETROIT) - A former Birmingham art dealer pleaded guilty to carrying out a $1.5 million scheme and defrauding 10 customers, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.
Wendy Halstead Beard, 58, was charged with wire fraud, stemming from a multi-year scheme between March 2019 and October 2022, in which Beard received art photography prints on consignment, sold the artwork without notifying the owners, and kept the profit for herself, according to a press release.
Beard admitted that she defrauded more than 10 people and that one of the victims was "vulnerable" due to their age.
"Throughout the scheme, Beard attempted to lull her victims into a false sense of security by offering excuses for her unwillingness or inability to promptly return the victims' photographs after the expiration of the operative consignment agreements," read the press release.
Officials say she exaggerated health issues to the owners, at one point claiming to be in a coma and to receive a double-lung transplant. She also told the owners that there was a lack of interest from potential purchasers and created fake employee identities.
"This defendant swindled numerous families out of valuable artwork and lied to them repeatedly in order to keep her fraud scheme afloat," said U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison in a statement. "She did this for no reason other than to line her own pockets at the expense of her victims. There is no place for this kind of criminal deceit in our community, and today's conviction holds this defendant accountable for her conduct."