Don’t Get Wasted and Lose a $1.4 Million Painting

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That headline is not a joke. Earlier this month it was reported that James Carl Haggerty, the middle man in a million-dollar art deal, had drunkenly misplaced Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot’s Portrait of a Girl after getting sauced at the Mark Hotel. According to security camera footage, Haggerty stumbled out of the hotel with said painting at around 12:50AM, and collided with the doorman. At 2:30AM he arrived at his apartment empty-handed.

So here’s where things get weird: Apparently in all of his wasted wisdom, Haggerty decided to leave the painting in some bushes outside of the Mark. There, it was later discovered by a doorman from across the street, Franklin Puentes, who after unsuccessfully looking for the owner among his building’s tenants, decided to take it home and hang it in his bathroom. After friends suggested that it might be valuable, Puentes did some research, discovered what he had on his hands, and turned the painting over to cops.

Authorities are still investigating Puentes’ story, but the New York Post quotes a law enforcement source as finding it fishy: “He found the painting at the end of July. He doesn’t know the date. He went away on a three week vacation and stored the painting in his locker at the building where he works. He says he found it outside the building. FBI made two arrests in regards to this case. His story is definitely weird. It doesn’t make sense.”

Our biggest question: Why would you ever want that creepy looking little girl to watch you pee?