A trio of con artists posed as members of the Guggenheim family in a scheme to swindle millions from investors, which included Coca-Cola execs and and associates of both Bush presidents. David Birnbaum, 67, of Brooklyn, Vladimir Zuravel, 45, of Queens, and Catarina Pietra Toumei, 45, of California were all charged in Manhattan federal court with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and now face 20 years in prison. Toumei is still at large, while the other two have been released on bond, according to the Daily News.
Birnbaum and Zuravel had been identifying themselves in phone calls as "David B. Guggenheim" and "Vladimir Z. Guggenheim" while shopping around investments (as NY Mag points out, Zuravel is a Russian native and "In the world of art, the main seat of Russian influence is the Guggenheim"). Toumei had a different approach... telling people she was married to John Ratzenberger, who played Cliff Clavin on Cheers (according to his publicist, the two did once date). She also would make phone calls on behalf of the faux Guggenheims she was conspiring with.
Amongst their fake investments were a $4 billion sale of crude oil and a $1 billion deal involving a Guggenheim vodka brand—their alleged scheme found no takers. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, "The defendants allegedly impersonated one of America’s most famous families to fleece potential victims by pitching bogus investments," but that the three victims cooperating with prosecutors hadn't paid the grifters a cent.
In court yesterday, Zuravel said he was innocent and proclaimed that Birnbaum "is the real Guggenheim." However, we've got to agree with the NY Post, as the paper declares they're pretty sure Guggenheims don't have 718 area codes!
