Leslie Roberts, a 62-year-old art dealer based in Miami, has been sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to sell forged Andy Warhol artwork. The sentence was handed down by US District Judge Roy Altman on 2 October. In addition to the prison term, Roberts was ordered to pay $2.6m in restitution for the funds stolen through his fraudulent activities.
According to a statement issued by the US justice department on Thursday, Roberts operated his scheme through his Miami art gallery. He deceived buyers by falsely claiming that the counterfeit pieces were acquired from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. To facilitate the deception, Roberts produced fraudulent invoices and authentication documents, including counterfeit stamps intended to mislead collectors. He pleaded guilty in June to conspiring to commit wire fraud.
The operation also involved an accomplice, Carlos Rodriguez Melendez, who was enlisted to pose as an employee of a New York-based auction company to provide false authentication for the works. Melendez has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Jason Reding Quiñones, the US attorney for the southern district of Florida, stated that prosecuting Roberts was essential because art fraud undermines confidence in the legitimate market and victimizes buyers who rely on the authenticity of their purchases. He added that the sentence serves as a clear message that fraud, whether on Wall Street or in an art gallery, will be met with accountability.
This case follows other recent convictions involving fake Warhol works. In April, Erwin Bankowski and his daughter, Karolina Bankowska, admitted to running a counterfeiting scheme in New Jersey. They commissioned an artist in Poland to produce at least 200 forgeries of works by Warhol, Banksy, and Pablo Picasso, defrauding buyers of at least $2m. The pair, who tricked various galleries and auction houses, face up to 20 years in prison and a minimum of $1.9m in restitution upon sentencing, according to the US justice department.
