Ex-Birmingham art gallery owner pleads guilty to swindling clients

As a follow-up to our blog on October 14, 2022, "Federal Agents Raid Home of Gallery Owner", the former prominent Birmingham, Michigan art gallery now owner faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to wire fraud, federal officials said.

Wendy Halsted Beard, 58, of Franklin, Michigan, who owned the Wendy Halsted Gallery, was accused of swindling a $1.6 million collection of more than 100 rare fine-art prints — including black-and-white Ansel Adams photographs — from clients.

"This defendant swindled numerous families out of valuable artwork and lied to them repeatedly in order to keep her fraud scheme afloat," U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a statement. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12, 2023