A former assistant to Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon reportedly committed suicide at a New York City hotel on Wednesday, the same day that he was expected to plead guilty to charges of stealing $1.2 million worth of rare wines from his ex-boss.
Nicolas DeMeyer, 41, leapt to his death from a window on the 33rd floor of the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan at 2:38 p.m., USA Today reports, citing authorities.
Before he took his life, the NYPD said DeMeyer sent text messages to his sister that “indicated he wanted to kill himself.”
His sister alerted hotel staff to help her brother, and security officials then forced open the man’s door, police sources said, according to the New York Post, adding that DeMeyer was “naked and sitting on the window sill” upon their arrival.
Before security could provide assistance to the suicidal man, he reportedly smiled at them and jumped to his death.
Authorities said DeMeyer landed on a 15th floor balcony of the hotel, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Only minutes before the tragedy unfolded, he was scheduled to appear in court before a Manhattan federal judge to plead guilty to a criminal charge in the wine-theft case.
Federal agents said DeMeyer used a portion of the money garnered from swindling the wine “for a 14-month, globe-trotting adventure, including stops in Rome and Casablanca,” before he was caught in January while at JFK airport, according to The Post.
DeMeyer worked as Solomon’s personal assistant at the time of the alleged hefty theft, and transported the Wall Streeter’s exquisite wine bottles from Manhattan to a cellar located in East Hampton.
When a wine dealer in Napa Valley purchased a rare bottle of pinot noir in October 2016, he suspected the wine to be stolen, according to The Washington Post. Because of the rarity of the bottle, “the dealer was able to use the wine’s label and trace its origin and locate the broker who had originally sold it to Solomon,” and then tipped the CEO off.
DeMeyer, who prosecutors said confessed to the theft scheme, was previously released on a $1 million bond secured by $200,000 in cash and his Ohio mother’s home, where he had also been staying.
While the man faced up to 10 years in prison on one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, it’s unclear what a plea deal may have entailed.
If you or someone you know are having thoughts of suicide, help is available. Please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).
[Feature Photo: Pixabay]
