The estranged husband of a distinguished Chelsea artwork vendor paid a pal a minimum of $5,000 to stab the gallery proprietor to dying in his bed room in Brazil in a sordid murder-for-hire plot, federal prosecutors mentioned Tuesday.
Daniel Carrera Sikkema, a 54-year-old former prostitute who married gallery proprietor Brent Sikkema in 2013, is now going through the dying penalty within the high-profile slaying that rattled the Large Apple artwork world, the US Legal professional’s Workplace in Manhattan mentioned in a press launch.
“In the midst of a tense divorce, Daniel Sikkema allegedly financed the premature death of his estranged husband,” FBI Assistant Director in Cost James Dennehy mentioned in an announcement.
“The defendant allegedly hired a hitman to facilitate the international murder of his husband, and attempted to conceal his involvement in this callous plan,” Dennehy mentioned. “The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate any individual who selfishly and mercilessly orders the end to another’s life, regardless of where the crime may occur.”
In response to the feds, Carrera employed the hit man — recognized in stories as Cuban nationwide Alejandro Triana Prevez — to sneak into Sikkema’s bed room in his Rio de Janeiro condo on Jan. 14, 2024 and stab the 75-year-old sufferer to dying as they fought for custody of their younger son.
Carrera made a number of secret funds to Prevez and the hit man’s lover, totaling $5,000 “and promised to make an additional payment at a later date,” federal prosecutors mentioned.
Nonetheless, the employed killer was picked up by Brazilian authorities simply 4 days after the homicide.
As soon as in custody, Prevez allegedly got here clear on the homicide plot and instructed police he stabbed the sufferer 18 occasions in his face, chest and throat after being employed by Carrera.
He allegedly instructed cops that Carrera gave him a key to Sikkema’s condo in Rio and was seen on surveillance footage staking out the scene for 14 hours earlier than the homicide.
Carrera, who labored as a male prostitute in Havana and Madrid earlier than hooking up with the rich vendor, stood to inherit Sikkema’s multi-million property, however was within the midst of an unpleasant divorce.
He surrendered to police on April 14 and was charged with passport fraud — earlier than being hit with the homicide and conspiracy expenses in a superseding indictment on Tuesday.
He’s charged with one depend of murder-for-hire conspiracy leading to dying, one depend of conspiracy to homicide and maim an individual out of the country and one depend of passport fraud, prosecutors mentioned.
If convicted he faces life in jail or dying, in accordance with the feds.
Sikkema co-owned the Sikkema Jenkins Gallery in Chelsea and repped distinguished artists like painter Kara Walker and photographer Vik Muniz earlier than his dying.
A well-recognized determine in metropolis artwork circles, he rubbed elbows with Michelle Obama and different high-profile figures.
His marriage to Carrera started to dissolve in 2022 and lapsed right into a bitter authorized battle. He disinherited his former paramour in Might 2022 and left cash to a different lover in his will.
