By: Richard L. Smith
Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw announced that a 38-year-old Willingboro man who had been charged with a $190,000 theft connected to the canceled sale of a painting was arrested at Newark Liberty Airport last week before he was able to board a flight to Copenhagen, Denmark.
Andrew Foster was charged with four counts of Theft (Second Degree), Failure to Pay New Jersey Income Taxes (Third Degree) and Failure to File a New Jersey Income Tax Return (Third Degree).
He was taken into custody May 28 and has since been released following a first appearance in Superior Court in Mount Holly.
The case will now be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment.
The investigation began after the Prosecutor’s Office was contacted by an attorney representing the buyer who indicated his client was the victim of theft that occurred after a negotiated artwork transaction was terminated.
The investigation revealed that Foster’s company, Genesis 8 Holdings, LLC, in Willingboro, received payments totaling $240,833 for a painting he was brokering between the seller and buyer.
Further investigation revealed that after the deal fell through, Foster refunded just $50,000 to the buyer, leaving a balance of $190,833 that was never returned.
The victim alleges that multiple requests to have the money returned were ignored by Foster.