Art thief admits to heists at Long Island estate

NEW YORK - A Pennsylvania man charged with stealing $100,000 worth of artwork, including a Pablo Picasso etching, from a suburban New York City estate has pleaded guilty in a deal that sentenced him to time served.

Joselito Vega, of Easton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty as his trial was set to begin in Brooklyn state Supreme Court Thursday.

The New York Post says he was sentenced to one year for each count, all to run concurrently. If convicted of all charges, he could have gotten a maximum of 25 years.

Vega was charged with money laundering and identity theft.

Prosecutors say he was hired in March 2011 as a house painter at the Schulhof Estate on Long Island. The estate features 300 works of art by European and American artists.