Greenwich dealer accused of stealing from estate seeks mental competency hearing

A Greenwich antiques dealer who was charged with five felony counts for allegedly stealing from a dead client’s estate has requested a hearing in a federal court in Connecticut to evaluate his mental competency.

David L. Johnson, 66, was indicted by a federal grand jury in December and charged with one count of money laundering, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions derived from unlawful activity.

The request for the mental competency hearing was filed under a federal law that allows judges to order psychiatric evaluations when there is reasonable cause to question a defendant’s ability to understand the proceedings or assist in his defense.

Johnson operated a business called Antique Treasures as well as an auction house, Greenwich Auction. Prosecutors said his unnamed victim signed legal documents in October 2018 giving the dealer control over their finances and estate, including naming him to manage and carry out the estate after death.

Johnson was not entitled to inherit anything, prosecutors said, and the victim died at the age of 87 in August 2020. He allegedly later stole more than $436,000 from a federal tax refund check belonging to the estate, more than $217,000 from an investment account and more than $308,000 from the proceeds of artwork sales, for a total over $960,000.