PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (TCN) — Daniel Garcia, one of the subjects of the podcast “True Crime News Presents: American Hustlers,” will spend the rest of his life behind bars in connection with the death of retired art dealer Clifford Lambert.
On Friday, April 25, a judge sentenced Garcia to life in prison without the possibility of parole, KESQ-TV reports. In 2023, he was convicted of murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, using the personal identity information of another to obtain credit, and using a forged instrument. He was also convicted of burglary, grand theft over $950, and receiving stolen property.
According to The Bay Area Reporter, although Garcia was not in Palm Springs when Lambert was killed, he, along with Miguel Bustamante, Craig McCarthy, Kaushal Niroula, and David Replogle, were convicted of conspiring to kill the retired art dealer. Bustamante is serving a life sentence, and McCarthy was sentenced to 25 years after testifying against the other defendants. Replogle, Garcia’s former lawyer, is reportedly expected to receive the same sentence as Garcia. In 2022, a cellmate killed Niroula.
Niroula and Garcia were allegedly involved in multiple cons and became known as the “gay grifters” who posed as real estate moguls, art dealers, bankers, and even royalty. They flew under law enforcement’s radar until they committed the biggest felony of all: murder.
To hear more about the case, check out “True Crime News Presents: American Hustlers,” the podcast.
