A daughter reportedly cheated her elderly mum out of $142.42m (£117 million) worth of art by using ‘psychics’ who claimed the fortune was cursed.
Brazilian woman Sabine Coll Boghici, 48, was arrested along with three other members of a gang on suspicion of stealing hundreds of millions worth of art from her 82-year-old mother, Genevieve Boghici, police said in a statement.
The elderly mother is the wife of late art collector Jean Boghici who had a collection of coveted art and jewellery.
The scheme is said to have begun in January 2020, when a group of four decided to try and steal Genevieve's valuable fortune with the help of a 'seer'.
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The fortune-teller reportedly convinced the mother that her daughter was becoming ill and needed 'spiritual treatment'.
Rio de Janeiro police officer Gilberto Ribeiro said that an accomplice posing as a psychic took the artwork from the mother's house, telling her the painting was cursed with 'negative energy' that 'needed to be prayed over'.
In a statement, Polícia Civil do Estado do Rio de Janeiro said (translated): "Civil police officers from the Special Delegation for Service to the Elderly (DEAPTI) arrested, this Wednesday (10/08), four members of a gang that stole more than R$ 725 million (£115 million) from an elderly woman, among works of art by renowned artists Dos, jewellery and bank transfers.
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"According to investigations, the criminal endeavor was articulated by the victim’s daughter and the coup began rolling out in January 2020.
"The elderly woman, who is the widow of a large art collector and merchant, was convinced to pay exorbitant amounts for the spiritual treatment of her daughter, who, according to one of the gang members who presented as a seer, would be ill and die soon.
"In today's action, some abstract works were recovered.
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"Among them, the painting 'Sol Poente' by the artist Tarsila do Amaral, valued at R$250 million (£40 million).
"Previously, other canvases, which together amounted to around R$300 million (£48 million), had been recovered in an art gallery in São Paulo."
The video below shows a number of paintings which were recovered underneath a mattress.
One of the paintings found including none other than the coveted Tarsila do Amaral’s 'Sol Poente', or 'Setting Sun'.
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The Tarsila do Amaral's painting, valued at R$250 million (£40 million) was believed to have been found 'under the false seer's bed'.
UNILAD has contacted Polícia Civil do Estado do Rio de Janeiro for additional comment.
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Topics: Crime, World News
Anish Vij