Embattled Nat’l Arts Club prez’s twin has $100K in goods recovered by cabbie

Less than a month after allegations first surfaced that John James had received a sweetheart deal at a residence in the National Arts Club, James, the twin brother of the organization’s president, is making new headlines — this time as the benefactor of a good samaritan cabbie, according to DNAinfo. James, who stands accused of hoarding jewelry and antiques at the 15 Gramercy Park South clubhouse, where he reportedly pays $356 a month for his apartment, left a bag containing upwards of $100,000 in valuables in a taxicab over the weekend. After the cab driver, Zubiru Jalloh, returned the goods, James rewarded him with $1,000 and an invitation to a National Arts Club event, the latter of which Jalloh declined. Unfortunately for James, this good publicity has been a relative anomaly for him in recent years. In 2003, James pleaded guilty to selling jewelry under the National Arts Club’s non-profit tax status and was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine and spend a stint in a psychiatric hospital. No word yet on whether he’ll be allowed to stay in his clubhouse pad. [DNAinfo]