ATLANTA — A high profile Buckhead art dealer is facing criminal theft and racketeering charges. A Fulton County grand jury indicted Bill Lowe on Friday.
Lowe is accused of selling art and never paying some of the artists' for their work.
"I think it is great. I think it is about time. It seemed like everybody in Atlanta knew he was doing stuff like this and no one was doing anything about it," said Donald Sultan, a New York-based artist who says Lowe owes him tens of thousands of dollars.
Channel 2 Action News started investigating after the Atlanta Police Department's major fraud unit raided his gallery, which was in Midtown, in 2013.
According to the indictment, Lowe is accused of unlawfully withholding sale proceeds of artwork in excess of $300,000.
[READ: More artists come forward with ripoff claims against midtown gallery]
"It is not a question of crediting and not paying, it is a question of theft and theft is serious," Sultan said.
"Bill has been part of the art scene, he has an international reputation in the art community. He vigorously denies any criminal liability, and he will fight it in court," said Bruce Harvey, Lowe's attorney. "I hope it will be failed attempt at use the Fulton County District Attorney's office as a collection agency."
Lowe moved into a Buckhead gallery and as of Tuesday was still open for business.
"Of course his attorney will say something like that -- his attorney won't be paid either," Sultan said.
Lowe is expected turn himself into the Fulton County jail later this week.
WSBTV
