Business
Warhol forgery dealer must repay $2.6 million
Livemint··18h ago
A Miami federal court sentenced South Florida art dealer Leslie Howard Roberts, 63, to three years and 10 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors said he sold fake Andy Warhol artworks with fraudulent invoices. He must repay nearly $2.6 million earned from the scheme. Roberts was arrested in April 2025.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Collectors who bought from Miami Fine Art Gallery may revisit authenticity records.
- Civil suits could follow the criminal restitution order against Roberts.
- Auction houses may tighten provenance checks on attributed Warhol pieces.
What's Happening
- Roberts owned Miami Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove.
- Co-conspirator Carlos Rodriguez Melendez pleaded guilty and received probation.
- Another Florida dealer received prison time in 2023 for fake Warhol sales.
Forged Warhols in Miami
- Warhol is associated with 1960s pop art.
- The Andy Warhol Foundation authenticates works for the estate.
- US prosecutors pursued wire fraud charges in the Southern District of Florida.
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