Complaint Review: (((NAME(S) REDACTED DUE TO PERCEIVED HARASSMENT / CYBERSTALKING / CYBERBULLYING / REVENGE POST))) - beverly hills California

Jason White is a convicted felon who stalked, harassed and attempted to extort as much as $300,000 from art world professionals, including (((REDACTED))) and (((REDACTED))). Jason White pleaded guilty to two federal charges, and will face sentencing of 10 years on June 9th 2014. 

Jason White, 43, was arrested by the FBI on Feb. 12 after engaging in a six-month stalking and extortion scheme that targeted (((REDACTED))) and his family and staffs with whom he had had business relationships, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Levitt.

When those business relationships ended, White posted derogatory information about his former associates on websites he had created, and then used threatening emails to demand hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for taking the websites down.

White repeatedly made extortionate demands through harassing text messages and emails, and when his demands were not met, he threatened violence against the victim families.

As part of the scheme, Jason White targeted his former employer, art publisher, (((REDACTED))) as well as his supervisor at the art publisher’s company by creating derogatory websites in the art publisher's name and then allegedly sending threatening text messages to the (((REDACTED))), the publisher's son, and his former supervisor, according to court documents.

In a text message to his former supervisor, White threatened to find her family and make her pay with “fear, anguish, and pain.” On several occasions, White obtained pictures of her child and sent pictures of the child to the victim with comments such as it will be very unfortunate if something was to happen to him. Jason White faces a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 9.

News Release: Riverside County Art Dealer Arrested in Federal Cyberstalking Case

Criminal Complaint: United States of America Vs. Jason White

 I did some research on this subject this year from my own when purchasing art.  Consumers have to be very wary as this art area is highly unregulated and has been subject to issues for centuries.  For example, Dali arts has a history of well know issues like this report describes.  One must determine if the ads and marketing has displayed the artist as something they are not which can be  done in marketing in a way that misleads.  It sounds like the business was not paid for work done by artist (((REDACTED))) and the representatives that surround him as one entity fooling collectors about the art.  The first part is easy as if there are unpaid bills for work done and being re-sold or retained by artist sside than that point is obvious you are dealing with an unsavory business dealing from the publisher and artist side.  

Diluted origials, track record of parties and false advertising issues: The next point takes one to the art as original and the track record of the parties.  For this one can research these particular names in news media and  court records in various states and countries.  If the  names turn up that give you an idea of what is at hand perhaps. Also, look at the ads and marketing to see if people who may buy the art are being mis-lead.  Did ads say that this artist is mass producing originals which suggest they are "diluted" originals and of little value as the original complaint suggests. Did the ads only portray the artist is a way that shows the artist as the one creating 100 percent painting originals. Diluted painting originals is an unsavory practice if not properly described; the artist does not have the talent or the ability to produce so pieces should certainly not be false advertized in such ways.  In the end the result may be that buyers are fooled into buying  originals at too high a value that can never be re-sold except at steep discount. 

Lastly one may also research the real verified history at major museums of the artist as a test of merits.