RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) -- Four men have been arrested after expensive paintings were stolen from a Hamptons mansion, which later was burned to the ground to cover up the crime, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Three of the men pleaded not guilty at their arraignments in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday while the fourth was expected to face a judge on Wednesday, said Robert Clifford, a spokesman for District Attorney Thomas Spota.
A fifth suspect pleaded guilty in an unrelated burglary in exchange for his cooperation with the art theft probe, prosecutors said.
Eleven paintings in all, worth more than $500,000 total, were taken from the home in the hamlet of Quiogue, on eastern Long Island. The most expensive painting was a work by French cubist painter Jean Metzinger that was valued at $420,000, Clifford said.
An additional $1 million in artwork was destroyed when the home was set afire in February 2006, prosecutors said.
The home was owned by Jerry Levin, former CEO of the Coleman camping equipment company.
Patrick Padden (pictured above), 50, of Westhampton, was charged with burglary, grand larceny and arson. He was held on $225,000 cash or $500,000 bond. Padden was hired as the caretaker while the $6 million home was undergoing renovations in 2006, prosecutors said.
Ronald Jiminez, 58, of Hampton Bays, was charged with criminal possession of stolen property and conspiracy and was released on $100,000 bond. Another co-defendant, Vincent Scheraldi, was charged with conspiracy and was released without bail. Brian Marbach, 18, of Hampton Bays, was expected to be arraigned Wednesday on stolen property possession and conspiracy charges.
Prosecutors say Padden and James Schmidt stole various camping gear from the home, and later took several paintings. Schmidt pleaded guilty to burglary charges in a separate case, but was not charged in the art theft because he is cooperating with prosecutors, Clifford said. Schmidt, who faces seven years in prison, was represented by attorneys from Legal Aid, which has a policy of not commenting on pending cases.
The suspects asked Scheraldi to help sell the paintings, prosecutors said. He sent photos of the paintings to several art galleries, including one Manhattan gallery that originally sold one of the paintings to Levin. The gallery then alerted the FBI, which was investigating along with Suffolk County police.
Padden's attorney, Thomas Lavallee, said outside court that his client had nothing to do with the heist and blamed Schmidt.
Jiminez's attorney, David Besso, also said it appeared Schmidt was the ringleader. He said the charges against his client were the result of "a big misunderstanding. When all the facts come out, he'll be vindicated.''
Scheraldi's attorney said his client is innocent. "He has faith in the court system and is looking forward ... to the truth coming out,'' said lawyer Keith O'Halloran.
An attorney for Marbach did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment.
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