MIAMI (AP) — A South Florida art dealer and another man are facing charges involving the sale of fake Andy Warhol artwork, authorities said.
Leslie Roberts, 62, and Carlos Miguel Rodriguez Melendez, 37, of Miami, were arrested Wednesday and made their first appearance in Miami federal courtroom, according to court records.
Naive Hassan, a defense attorney representing Rodriguez Melendez, said he looks forward to his client maintaining his innocence and presenting the full facts in court. Roberts’ defense attorneys and Miami Fine Art Gallery did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on fees.
According to the indictment, Roberts, owner of Miami Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove, misrepresents the art as an original work created by renowned artist Andy Warhol. Prosecutors said Roberts falsely claimed that he had obtained artwork directly from the Andy Warhol Foundation for visual arts and provided the victim with fake and fraudulent bills.
Roberts also transferred at least $240,000 in wire fraud income from his Miami Fine Art Gallery bank account to his personal bank account, the indictment said.
Rodriguez Melendez falsely claims that a New York-based auction company is working to fraudulently authenticate the artwork, investigators said.
Roberts is accused of participating in a conspiracy to sell forged art using fake invoices and fraudulent invoices and authentication, and Rodriguez Melendez is in charge of participating in a conspiracy of wire fraud. They were released on bonds and an arrest hearing scheduled for April 21st.
If convicted, Roberts will face up to 30 years in prison, while Rodriguez Melendez faces 20.
Another South Florida art dealer was sentenced in federal prison for selling fake warhols in 2023. Daniel Ellie Boages, who owned two galleries in Palm Beach County, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, but prosecutors agreed to drop 16 other counts related to fraud and embezzlement.
Warhol was the American visual artist and filmmaker most associated with the pop art movement of the 1960s.
