A former art consultant to Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art was busted Thursday for allegedly evading taxes on $3.5 million in inheritance.
Lacy Doyle, who worked for MOMA in the 1980s and now runs her own art consultancy, ArtView NYC, got her hands on $4 million in 2003 when her father died, according to the Manhattan US Attorney’s office.
Her grandfather, John P. V. Heinmuller, was president of the exclusive Longines-Wittnauer Watch Company and counted Charles Lindbergh among his pals.
Doyle, 59, of Sag Harbor falsely reported that the value of her dad’s estate was worth less than $1 million, prosecutors said.
Doyle then hid the remaining assets from Uncle Sam by opening an undeclared Swiss bank account, the feds said. She deposited the secret inheritance in the account under the name of a sham foundation, according to the complaint.
As of the end of 2008, the secret account was worth some $3.5 million, prosecutors said.
Doyle was charged with one count of obstructing and impeding IRS laws and one count of false and fraudulent U.S. tax returns.
Each count carries maximum sentence of three years in prison.
“We steadfastly deny the allegations and look forward to our day in court,” said Doyle’s lawyer Alain Leibman.
Doyle was released on a $500,000 bond, Leibman said.