Artist pleads guilty

A Newport Beach artist who used a Picasso sketch valued at $200,000 to con a local real estate broker struck a deal with the court Tuesday that spared him years in prison.

Michael Schofield, 60, said little while caged inside the Newport Beach Harbor Justice Center courtroom. Standing in his dark blue prisoner jumpsuit, ankles and wrists shackled, Schofield answered each felony count with a pronounced “Guilty, sir.”

Schofield pleaded guilty to two grand theft charges and one count of bouncing a $5,000 check. He was sentenced to 300 days in Orange County jail, was given credit for 31 days already served and will be on supervised probation for three years. He faced up to four years and four months in prison.

Schofield’s public defender, Richard Carmona, declined to comment.

“For all the crime and money I’m out, I thought it would have been longer,” said Jeff Stokes, the Newport Beach real estate broker whose complaint triggered the criminal investigation that eventually lassoed Schofield. “With the probation, I’m just worried he’ll get other guys. He’ll just scam somebody else.”

Schofield used the 1920 Picasso sketch, “Le Couple” as collateral for a $40,000 loan from Stokes to buy artwork for an auction house. Schofield had the sketch on consignment from a Studio City casting director who thought he was trying to sell it. Neither Stokes nor the casting director were aware of the other, they said.

Schofield then stole the sketch back from Stokes while he was moving into his new Corona del Mar home, leaving Stokes minus about $40,000 and nothing to show for it, prosecutors said. The $5,000 check Schofield gave Stokes as payment bounced.

“He’s been screwing people over for a long time. Nobody could ever prove it. It all comes around the end,” said Tommy Bullock, who has known Schofield for the last two years. “I don’t think nine months is enough.”

Schofield also tricked William Patton out of $1,850. Schofield took Patton’s artwork worth $60,000 to Los Angeles for repairs, investigators said. When he came back, Schofield lied and told Patton he had to pay up front, and was owed nearly $2,000.

Schofield had abandoned his Balboa Island apartment and fled to Dallas, where police there arrested him Feb. 1, thanks to an anonymous tip. He was extradited to Orange County. Newport Beach police had issued a $50,000 warrant for Schofield’s arrest after they couldn’t locate him.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.