Florida Gallery Charged for Selling Bootleg Warhols

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A week ago, authorities conducted a raid on the Miami Fine Art Gallery in Florida, suspecting it of selling counterfeit artwork, including pieces wrongfully labeled as genuine Andy Warhol paintings. The gallery is managed by art dealer Leslie Roberts, who has been indicted in federal court for allegedly participating in a scheme to sell fake art. According to Artnet, the charges include creating fake invoices and authentication documents to sell these works.

37-year old Carlos Miguel Rodriguez Melendez, alongside Roberts, is being charged with wire fraud associated with fake artworks. Both men were initially arrested but are currently out on bail, awaiting an April 21 arraignment. If convicted, they could serve up to 20 years in federal prison.

This version aims to simplify the original text while maintaining its meaning and clarity.

1. According to the charges, Roberts allegedly presented the artworks as genuine Andy Warhol originals linked to the Andy Warhol Art Foundation. It appears that Melendez asserted he was employed at a New York auction house to persuade the buyers that the pieces were authentic.

(Alternatively)

2. The indictment claimed that Roberts passed off the artworks as true Andy Warhol paintings backed by the Andy Warhol Art Foundation. It seems like Melendez argued he worked at a New York auction house to convince the victims that the works were genuine.

As a gamer putting on my detective hat, I’d say, “I forged documents claiming they were from the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board, and used them to pass off my fake art as genuine pieces created by Andy Warhol.

According to The New York Times, it was revealed that one of the victims was the Perlman family, art enthusiasts, who include Matthew, Judy, and Richard Perlman. They have filed a civil lawsuit against Roberts, alleging that he convinced them to spend over $6 million on counterfeit Warhols. The Perelmans amassed more than 250 pieces, and spent $325,000 on a collection of Mao Zedong depictions, one of Warhol’s most celebrated subjects.

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2025-04-15 20:26