Tag

Counterfeit Art

All articles tagged with #counterfeit art

New Jersey father-daughter admit guilt in $2M counterfeit-art scheme
crime27 days ago

New Jersey father-daughter admit guilt in $2M counterfeit-art scheme

A New Jersey-based father and daughter pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native American–produced goods after selling more than 200 counterfeit artworks—including pieces attributed to Warhol, Picasso, Banksy and others—by fabricating provenance. The scheme defrauded victims of at least $2 million across galleries and auction houses in the U.S., and the pair faces up to 20 years in prison with restitution potentially up to $1.9 million.

Father-daughter forgery scheme hits NYC art world with counterfeit Warhols and Banksys
business28 days ago

Father-daughter forgery scheme hits NYC art world with counterfeit Warhols and Banksys

A New Jersey-based father and daughter, Karolina Bankowska and Erwin Bankowski, pleaded guilty to a multi-million-dollar scheme that produced about 200 fake artworks—mostly works attributed to Warhol and Banksy—crafted in Poland with forged provenance stamps and sold through major NYC auction houses for at least $2 million. The case highlights a wider problem of forgeries in the art world, with experts noting that fakery is more prevalent than industry insiders often admit. The pair face prison time, restitution (about $1.9 million), and possible deportation to Poland.

California man admits to selling fake Basquiat paintings in fraudulent scheme.
crime3 years ago

California man admits to selling fake Basquiat paintings in fraudulent scheme.

Michael Barzman, a former auctioneer, has pleaded guilty to selling fake Jean Michel-Basquiat paintings, which he and another man created and sold on eBay and through Barzman's auction business. Barzman admitted to lying about the origin of the paintings and falsely attributing them to a well-known screenwriter's storage unit. The fake artwork made its way to an exhibit in the Orlando Museum of Art, where the FBI seized 25 of the counterfeit pieces. Making false statements to a government agency carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.