Stealing from your grandmother's purse, even a $20 bill, is a pretty reprehensible crime. How about roughly $500,000 from legendary free jazzer Cecil Taylor?
That'll land you in some serious heat, I'd imagine.
According to reports, a Long Island man was arrested this week after authorities accused him of embezzling some $492,722.55 in prize money from Cecil Taylor, who is a mighty 85-years-old.
The money came as a reward from Inamori Foundation, in which Taylor won the Kyoto Prize for having contributed "to scientific, cultural and spiritual development."
A Brooklyn DA named Noel Muir, 54, as a Nassau County resident who apparently befriended Taylor and after gaining his trust, found him vulnerable and easy to swindle the cash from.
Cecil Taylor's first album, Jazz Advance, was awarded the 50 million yen prize back in June 2013.
According to prosecutors, though, Muir is a general contractor who was working on a brownstone next door to Taylor in Fort Greene. Muir, also, apparently helped make preparations for Cecil and his trip to Japan to receive the money that November.
He even and accompanied him on the trip.
It was then that Muir had the prize money transferred to his own company's bank account, which was falsely portrayed as The Cecil Taylor Foundation.
The account has since been depleted of its funds.
If convicted, Muir will be charged with second-degree grand larceny--facing up to 15 years in prison.
A tragedy indeed, lest we forget the major contributions of Cecil Taylor.
