HOUSTON – It remains one of the strangest things KPRC 2 Investigates has uncovered in recent years. A massive private African art collection secretly stored inside of an old Harris County maintenance shed.
Our series of investigative reports launched a criminal probe directly involving one of Harris County’s most powerful politicians.
“The whole thing with this art is strange. I mean the art itself is strange,” said Houston-based attorney Joe Walker earlier this week.
In February 2020, KPRC 2 first reported the costly $326,000 transformation of a county shed to store over 1,000 pieces of private art for free, even through there was no approval by the county to do so.
The art inside the shed was all under the control of County Commissioner Rodney Ellis. Surveillance video KPRC 2 obtained shortly after our initial reports captured Ellis showing off the private collection to family and others.
Ellis was seen not having any problems talking during intimate tours of the shed out of the public’s eye, but when we showed up asking questions, he had no answers.
At the time, we were told by the county the private collection had only one owner, Sam Njunuri. State records showed he was in business with Commissioner Ellis’s sister-in-law at the time. Once we exposed all of it, a criminal investigation was launched with a grand jury declining to indict Ellis for all the hundreds of thousands spent by his office in connection to the art.
Remember taxpayers’ dollars were used for the restoration of the shed and no monies were collected for storage.
On Tuesday, Walker admitted he never expected to be talking about the art over four years later but was quick to add, “It tells me there is a lot of effort to keep this stuff from being sold.”
Walker wants the art sold on behalf of his client, Darlene Jarrett. Njunuri owes her over $1 million after a judgement in a civil matter. Walker says the sale of the art can potentially cover it and he had to go back to court this week to see if he can finally get it sold.
Prior to the art sales, Njunuri filed restraining orders and even for bankruptcy to avoid having the art auctioned off.
“I’m just trying to get this stuff sold so I can satisfy my clients judgment,” said Walker.
Njunuri does not have ownership papers for all the art and has admitted in court testimony during Walker’s civil trial that not only is there another owner of the art, but some of it “might be stolen”.
Walker says the significant development first reported by KPRC 2 Investigates - nearly a year ago - has gone ignored by law enforcement.
Former Harris County prosecutor Angela Weltin made her position clear regarding Njunuri claiming some of the art “might be stolen” when she met with us after the latest hearing.
“I think it is ripe for an investigation,” said Weltin.
Weltin tried public corruption cases when she worked at the Harris County DA’s office. Her time in the office was not under the current (and outgoing) District Attorney Kim Ogg.
Weltin believes the fact that Njunuri’s testimony of potential theft along with other owners to the art is significant enough to give the original criminal investigation involving Ellis a whole new look with the possibility of taking it to a new grand jury.
“They can represent with the new information,” said Weltin, who added the case remains within the statute of limitations.
As for the the current status of the art, it is still being stored in an office building on the city’s southwest side. Building management on Thursday confirmed Njunuri has not paid his rent for years.
As for a potential auction, Walker made it clear after Tuesday’s latest hearing that he hopes the third time will be the charm before the end of the year.
Njunuri along with his legal representation failed to show up to the hearing.
