Husband Convicted In Federal Plot To Murder NYC Art Dealer In Brazil
A Manhattan federal jury convicted Daniel Sikkema on Friday, May 22, 2026, of a murder-for-hire conspiracy that led to his husband's death in Rio de Janeiro, and Sikkema now faces a mandatory life sentence.[1]
Prosecutors said Daniel Sikkema funneled more than $10,000 to an alleged hitman and used a burner phone while arranging the killing.[1] They told jurors he boasted he would make more money from his husband's death than from a divorce.[1] Brent Sikkema, 75, a New York City art dealer, was found stabbed to death in his Rio de Janeiro townhouse in January 2024.[1] Daniel Sikkema, a dual U.S.-Cuban citizen, was arrested in April 2024 and his lawyer said he will appeal the conviction.[1]
In January 2024, investigators in Rio de Janeiro found Brent Sikkema dead in his townhouse, sparking a cross-border investigation that later moved to federal court in Manhattan.[1] Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Daniel Sikkema with organizing the plot after he was arrested in April 2024.[1] At trial, prosecutors said the case relied on phone records, money transfers and testimony linking Sikkema to the payments and messages.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- A Manhattan federal jury convicted Daniel Sikkema on Friday, May 22, 2026, of murder-for-hire conspiracy resulting in death.
- Victim Brent Sikkema, a 75-year-old New York City art dealer, was found stabbed to death in his Rio de Janeiro townhouse in January 2024.
- Prosecutors said Daniel Sikkema funneled over $10,000 to the alleged hitman and used a burner phone during the plot, while boasting he would profit more from his husband's death than from divorce.
- Daniel Sikkema, a dual U.S.-Cuban citizen, was arrested in April 2024 and now faces a mandatory life sentence; his lawyer says he will appeal.
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