Upper East Side Gallery Owner Pardoned By Trump

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The owner of an Upper East Side art gallery is among the 143 people who received last-minute pardons and commutations by outgoing President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

Hillel "Helly" Nahmad is the owner of the Helly Nahmad Gallery, housed within the Carlyle Hotel on East 76th Street and Madison Avenue.

In 2014, Nahmad, then 34, pleaded guilty in federal court and was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for holding a leadership role in an illegal high-stakes sports gambling business. He was forced to forfeit $6.4 million as well as his rights to a 1937 painting by the artist Raoul Dufy.

"President Trump granted a full pardon to Hillel Nahmad. This pardon is supported by members of his community," the White House wrote in its announcement, posted online early Wednesday.

"Mr. Nahmad was convicted of a sports gambling offense. Since his conviction, he has lived an exemplary life and has been dedicated to the well-being of his community."

According to federal prosecutors, Nahmad co-ran a nationwide gambling business, active in New York and Los Angeles, catering to billionaire and multimillionaire clients. Nahmad was the main source of financing for the ring and enjoyed a large share of the profits, prosecutors said.

Nahmad's gallery was raided by the FBI in April 2013, according to the New York Times, which described him as a "night-life fixture" known for his flashy lifestyle, celebrity friendships and his $21 million apartment in Trump Tower.

Nahmad's art business appeared to be connected to the gambling ring, the Times reported, serving as a possible cover for his illicit money transfers. Prosecutors also alleged that the ring had ties to Russian organized crime, but were unable to prove a connection.

Nahmad served about five months in prison before being transferred to a halfway house, from which he was released in May 2015, according to the New York Post. Within a month, he was back on the art scene, traveling to an art fair in Switzerland, Artnet reported.