ART WORLD ACCOUNTS

Artists and collectors say they fell victim to St. Armands art gallery owner Robert Preiss, even as Preiss was facing prison time on an art theft charge. They say they are now missing payments or valuable high-end original paintings and sculptures. Here is a look at what they say happened:

In January, Rut agreed to send Preiss a group of original paintings for a two-day art show in Key Biscayne. "After the event, the paintings - whatever did not sell - was supposed to be brought back to my studio," Rut said.

Rut kept asking Preiss to return the artwork. "I said Robert, I want my paintings back, you're keeping them."

"The next thing I know is he gets arrested," Rut said of Preiss' conviction and jailing in October. "Out of all my consigned artwork, I recovered 5 out of 10."

Rut later went to the home of a Venice dentist who previously had purchased Rut's art. As the dentist gave him a tour of the house, Rut saw one of his missing paintings in the bedroom, a red monochrome of a woman fanning herself. He asked the dentist and his wife where they got it, and they told him Preiss had sold it to them; Rut said he was never paid.

In late 2010, Zhao agreed to send Preiss a few originals and a few limited editions for a new gallery in Tampa called Bugatti Fine Art.

Months went by and Zhao contacted Preiss. "We'd like you to send all the pieces back because we haven't heard anything from you that you had sold anything," said Jessie Zhao, Zhao's daughter.

They were missing three originals and two limited editions. Then, they heard from the manager of Bugatti that Preiss was convicted and in jail.

Later, a customer called to say he had purchased one of Zhao's paintings, "Riders of the Dawn," at an estate sale. It was one of the pieces Preiss had never returned or paid for. "We don't know how that piece got to an estate sale," Jessie Zhao said.

Preiss approached Zimmerman, a renowned portrait artist, with an impressive offer: Paint a portrait of Carlos Slim, the world's richest man, as a gift from Preiss, and Zimmerman would receive a $300,000 commission.

Preiss told Zimmerman it would be in appreciation for the 10-year relationship he shared with Slim as his best client, to be presented to him in Slim's home in Mexico.

Zimmerman created what he considers to be one of his most detailed and meaningful portraits. He incorporated examples of works by Dali and Rodin into the background. During the unveiling at Preiss' gallery, Preiss declared the painting a masterpiece that would soon be hanging in Somaya Museum in Mexico City.

Then, in July, Zimmerman said Preiss came up with one excuse after another as to why the presentation to Slim was not happening. Then, Zimmerman heard about Preiss' conviction for fraud.

Zimmerman now has reason to believe that Slim and Preiss were not as close as represented, and that the portrait was just a tool that Preiss was using to get closer to Slim. Zimmerman said he was never paid.

Ginzberg knew Preiss from years ago when he sold art through Preiss' ex-wife's gallery in Miami. So when Preiss called in late 2009 with stories of people owing him hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ginzberg gave him art to sell.

Preiss guaranteed sales right away, and "to show good faith" gave Ginzberg a check and five postdated checks for the full amount. Only the first one was good, Ginzberg said.

Preiss came up with excuses, including sending a photo of himself in the hospital, and always said payment was just around the corner, Ginzberg said.

"We subsequently found out the artwork was already sold, and there was no way to trace it," Ginzberg said. "He was selling the art and not telling us, but he was taking any price. He sold paintings valued at $40,000 for $10,000."

"Somebody told me they walked into a restaurant on St. Armands, and there was a painting of mine hanging that was retailed at $40,000."

"They said they got it from Preiss," Ginzberg said. "He never paid me for that."

Cloud's husband was a private collector of Salvador Dali sculptures and other fine art, much of it purchased from Preiss. The two became close friends before Cloud's husband died in 2008 and left the artwork to his 6-year-old daughter.

"Robert sent me many emails, beautiful, wise, showing great compassion and how he felt so sorry," Cloud said. "If at any time the storage costs got too much or he needed funds for my daughter, he'd be happy to assist."

In 2010, with the costs of London storage space costing thousands, Cloud decided to sell the pieces and put the money in a trust. She said she called Preiss, who had sold most of the art to her late husband.

Five months later, Cloud started asking about the art or the money. Preiss had neither. In October, someone anonymously sent her a link to a Herald-Tribune news story about Preiss' conviction and prison sentence. "You can imagine, I almost fell out of my chair," Cloud said.