Art News

Art-theft suspect pleads not guilty in NYC

NEW YORK (AP).- A wine steward suspected in a bicoastal art-theft spree lifted pricey art from New York hotels simply by walking out with the works in a canvas tote bag and then used them to line his own walls, prosecutors said Friday. Mark Lugo, who just spent more than four months in jail for grabbing a $275,000 Picasso off a San Francisco art gallery wall, was being held without bail after pleading not guilty Friday to grand larceny and other charges in a Manhattan court. “In an effort to display stolen art in his apartment, this repeat art thief boldly walked out of two Manhattan hotels in broad daylight” with valuable works, District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said in a statement. Lugo’s New York lawyer, James Montgomery, said the 31-year-old was a “pleasant, engaging” man “who’s been struggling with particular difficulties,” which he wouldn’t detail. “When the dust settles, and the DA’s office calms down a little bit, we’ll