The estranged husband of a prominent Chelsea art dealer died of stabbing a gallery owner to a peer who had at least $5,000 in a poor murder conspiracy, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
Daniel Carrera Sickema, a 54-year-old former prostitute who married gallery owner Brent Sickema in 2013, was a prominent murder that rattled the world of Big Apple Art, a US law firm in Manhattan. Faced with the death penalty I said in a press release.
“Daniel Sickema is said to have funded the premature death of her estranged husband amid a tense divorce,” Chief James Dennehy, FBI assistant director, said in a statement.
“The defendant was allegedly hired a hitman to promote her husband's international murder and tried to hide his involvement in this ruthless plot,” Denehi said. “The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate individuals who have mercilessly ordered other people's lives, regardless of where the crime occurs.”
According to the federal government, Carrera hired a hitman reported as Cuba National Alejandro Triana Plevez to sneak into Sikkema's bedroom at Rio de Janeiro apartment on January 14, 2024, and died the 75-year-old victim stabbed the victim. They fought for custody of their young son.
Currera made several secret payments to Prevez and Hik Man Lover, and has “promised to make additional payments at a later date,” federal prosecutors said.
However, the hired murderer was picked up by Brazilian authorities just four days after the murder.
Upon being taken into custody, Prevez became clean in a murder group and told police he had stabbed the victim 18 times in the face, chest and throat after being hired by Carrera.
He reportedly told officers that Carrera gave him the keys to Sickema's apartment in Rio, and reportedly devoured the scene with surveillance footage 14 hours before the murder.
Carrera, who worked as a male prostitute in Havana and Madrid, was trying to inherit the real estate of millions of Sickema before working with wealthy dealers, but was in the midst of an ugly divorce. .
He surrendered to police on April 14 and was charged with passport fraud before being hit with murder and conspiracy charges in the replaced charges Tuesday.
He is being charged with one count of murder conspiracy that led to death, one count of murder and dooming foreign people, and one count of passport fraud, prosecutors said.
According to the federal government, if convicted he is faced with a prison or death life.
Sikkema co-owned the Sikkema Jenkins Gallery in Chelsea and represented notable artists such as painter Kara Walker and photographer Vik Muniz before his death.
A familiar figure in the city's art circle, he rubbed his elbows with Michelle Obama and other famous figures.
His marriage to Carrera began to break up in 2022, falling into a fierce legal battle. He disinherited his previous Parama in May 2022 and left the money to another lover at his will.
