An alleged fraud case against a Cameron Park couple has been dismissed, ending a 17-month legal battle in U.S. District Court.
The federal government dismissed the indictment Thursday against Michael Galen Donnelly and Mary Margaret Donnelly, who own Our House Defines Art, an art gallery and framing business in El Dorado Hills. The couple has since changed the name of the business to Our House Gallery & Framing.
The Donnellys were indicted in November 2007 on charges of conspiracy to defraud the Social Security Administration.
The indictment said the couple claimed to be disabled and not working from 2002 to 2007, when they were working in their gallery, and that they used $70,000 in disability benefits they were not entitled to.
“The charges caused us and our business great emotional and financial distress,” Mary Donnelly said Friday.
U.S. Attorney claims Mary & Michael Donnelly were too "creative" in how they define "not working"
The owners of Our House Defines Art, an El Dorado Hills art gallery and framing business, were indicted Wednesday on eight counts of conspiracy to defraud the Social Security Administration. Indictment comes just days before the couple moves their business.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment, which alleges Mary Margaret Donnelly, aka Mary Margaret Wittekind, and Michael Glen Donnelly, aka Michael Hubbs, falsely claimed to be disabled and not working from 2002 - 2007, when they were in fact working on their gallery. The indictment says the Cameron Park couple used $70,000 in disability benefits they were not entitled to.
The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Russell Carlberg.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 2:00 PM PST El Dorado business owners indicted for fraud Sacramento Business Journal
[from the Gallery's Website] Intention Statement: Our intention is to facilitate emotional, physical and spiritual growth by helping individuals explore their creative selves through art, music, poetry, theater, dance and song.
Michael & Mary Donnelly, owners of Our House Defines Art (gallery & framing), have been in and around art their entire lives. In Michael’s case, he has been in the profession for over 25 years. He has built numerous galleries and frame shops for private entrepreneurs, managed corporations like Michaels and Aaron Brothers, and experienced life as personal framer to such famed artists as Salvador Dali.
Mary, an avid reader, realized early on that artists only begin a story. If individuals so choose, they can “co-author” - actually completing the experience through interpretation. Manned only with her imagination and the artwork life placed before her, Mary has sailed to foreign lands, dealt in matters of intrigue, found love, experienced unfathomed beauty and HELPED EXPLORE and IDENTIFY who she was and what she wanted to do with this life she had been blessed with. She decided to help encourage others to unlock their own limits...and consider the possibilities…through art.
With Michael at the helm as the seasoned professional and highly creative picture framer and Mary as their business interface, they established Our House Defines Art (gallery & framing) in El Dorado Hills’ Market Place at Town Center (next to Ralphs). Our House Defines Art is based upon their personal theories that if a gallery is both welcoming and diverse, people tend to avoid “doing the loop” and linger long enough to be expanded by works they never would have sought out. They’re not just selling art. They are selling experiences!
With five full years of business beneath their belt, Michael & Mary Donnelly, owners of Our house Gallery, reflect back as they pack their bags, preparing to leave El Dorado Hills Town Center.
Michael and Mary Donnelly announce that Our house Gallery is at the end of its lease in El Dorado Hills Town Center and will be moving up to Moñtano de El Dorado, the new center on top of the hill overlooking Town Center - at the corner of White Rock and Latrobe Roads. The Donnellys invite you to come join them at this awesome new center in April 2008.
Our house gallery also announced the November 2007 opening of their other new gallery, Vitkovsky Fine Art, located across the street from Ghirardelli Square on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
During this transition, EVERYTHING is on sale at their El Dorado Hills Town Center location (between Massage Envy and Round Table). We don’t want to move it. We don’t want to store it. The last day to take advantage of these unprecedented art sales will be November 15th. For additional details, call the gallery directly at 916/933.4278.
