Fake Civil War Story Sells $64k Desk, Guilty Plea Made

NEW HAVEN, CT — A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of wire fraud after he fooled a Connecticut art dealer into thinking a secretary desk was created in honor of a fallen Civil War veteran.

Harold Gordon, 69, began talking with an art dealer in 2012 about selling a tall antique desk, according to the U.S. Attorney District of Connecticut.

Gordon said that the desk was dedicated as a Civil War memorial for a Connecticut soldier who died at the Battle of Antietam. He said that the surviving soldiers in the fallen soldier's regiment crafted the desk for the family.

Gordon also said the desk wasn't refurbished and had purchased it from the descendant of the fallen soldier's family. The art dealer purchased the desk for $64,500 and later sold it for a substantial profit to a non-profit Connecticut institution. The victim sent Gordon another $25,000 due to the large profit.

Third parties began questioning the authenticity of the desk in 2018. Gordon admitted that he decorated and refurbished the desk and created the false story.

The victim art dealer made full restitution to the institution that purchased the desk form him.

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