Duo Who Sold Fake Warhol, Banksy Plead Guilty in $2M Fraud
Erwin Bankowski and his daughter Karoline Bankowska of New Jersey pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn on April 28 to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native American-produced goods in a counterfeit art scheme that defrauded buyers of at least $2 million. Prosecutors said that from 2020 to 2025 the pair placed more than 200 counterfeit works—many made by an artist in Poland—into U.S. galleries and auction houses, using fabricated provenance, forged gallery stamps, and fake certificates of authenticity. The defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison and at least $1.9 million in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph Nocella. Examples cited include a fake Raimonds Staprans sold for $60,000, a fake Banksy sold for $2,000, a fake Andy Warhol sold for $5,500, and a fake Richard Mayhew sold for $160,000, with additional charges tied to the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.
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This story was covered in Sanctions, Scandals, and Venice’s Market Fever