NJ father and daughter duo plead guilty in counterfeit art scheme
The works were falsely attributed to artists including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Raimond Staprans, Richard Mayhew and Native American artist Fritz Scholder, prosecutors said.
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A Mercer County father/daughter duo pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn to a counterfeit art scheme that defrauded buyers of millions of dollars, authorities said.
Erwin Bankowski, 50, and Karolina Bankowska, 26, both of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresentation of Native American produced goods and products, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Federal prosecutors said Bankowski and his daughter conspired from 2020 through 2025 to consign more than 200 counterfeit artworks to galleries and auction houses across the country.
The works were falsely attributed to artists including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Raimond Staprans, Richard Mayhew and Native American artist Fritz Scholder, prosecutors said.
Authorities said the defendants created false ownership histories and used forged gallery stamps and fake certificates of authenticity to make the works appear legitimate. Some pieces were offered for sale for as much as $160,000.
The defendants face up to 20 years in prison when sentenced, as well as restitution of at least $1.9 million, prosecutors said.
