Celeb Art Swindler Sentenced

An art dealer who scammed clients including Robert De Niro and John McEnroe received the maximum sentence yesterday despite his pleas for leniency. Lawrence Salandar, once one of New York's most prominent art dealers, will serve between 6 and 18 years in prison, the New York Daily News reports. He pleaded guilty to 29 counts of grand larceny earlier this year.

The court heard how Salander sold paintings that didn't belong to him and kept the proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle. "We left the cemetery after burying my dad and met Larry at the apartment,” one victim told the court. “He walked in all concerned and crying for my dad, and walked out with a $2 million-plus art collection that he stole. What kind of human being does that?” (More Lawrence Salander stories.)