Helly Nahmad in front of a Picasso painting. Photo courtesy of Helly Nahmad Gallery.
In an 11th-hour act, President Donald Trump has pardoned art dealer Helly Nahmad, who was sentenced in 2014 to a year and a day in prison after pleading guilty to a single federal gambling charge.
Nahmad, a member of the Nahmad family dynasty and the son of art collector David Nahmad, was caught co-organizing an illegal gambling ring worth $100 million out of Trump Tower in New York.
He owns the entirety of the building’s 51st floor, which reportedly cost a collective $21 million.
“President Trump granted a full pardon to Hillel Nahmad,” the White House said in a statement. “This pardon is supported by members of his community. Mr. Nahmad was convicted of a sports gambling offense. Since his conviction, he has lived an exemplary life and has been dedicated to the well-being of his community.”
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SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 04: Former Google and Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski leaves the the Robert F. Peckham U.S. Federal Court on September 04, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Justin Sullivan | Getty Images)
CALIFORNIA President Donald Trump issued a flurry of pardons and commuted sentences in the final hours of his presidency, including at least six with California ties.
Trump granted pardons to 73 people and commuted the sentences of another 70 as one of his final acts before leaving office Wednesday.
Notably, he did not pardon himself or any members of his family or former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, his personal attorney.