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South Florida Art Dealer Charged in Andy Warhol Forgery Scheme
MIAMI – A South Florida art dealer and an accomplice are facing charges connected to the alleged sale of counterfeit Andy Warhol artworks, authorities announced. The pair are accused of perpetrating an art fraud scheme involving works purportedly by the iconic pop artist.
Arrest and Initial Court Appearance
Leslie Roberts, 62, of Miami, and Carlos Miguel Rodriguez Melendez, 37, of Sunny Isles, were apprehended on Wednesday and subsequently appeared in Miami federal court for their initial hearings, according to court documents.
Nayib Hassan, the legal representative for Rodriguez Melendez, stated that his client asserts his innocence and is eager to present all pertinent facts in court. Defense counsel for Roberts and representatives from Miami Fine Art Gallery have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the accusations.
Details of the Alleged Art Fraud
According to the indictment, Roberts, who owns Miami Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove, purportedly misrepresented artwork as authentic pieces by the celebrated artist Andy Warhol. Prosecutors contend that Roberts falsely informed victims that he had obtained the art directly from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and supplied fabricated and fraudulent invoices to buyers.
The indictment further alleges that Roberts transferred a minimum of $240,000 in wire fraud proceeds from his Miami Fine Art Gallery business account to his personal bank account.
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Rodriguez Melendez is accused of falsely claiming employment with a New York-based auction house to provide fraudulent authentication for the purported Warhol artworks, while concealing their fake nature, investigators reported.
Charges and Potential Penalties
Roberts is formally charged with conspiracy to traffic in forged art through the utilization of counterfeit invoices and authentication documents. Rodriguez Melendez is charged with participating in the wire fraud conspiracy. Both individuals have been released on bond, and an arraignment is scheduled for April 21.
If convicted, Roberts could face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, while Rodriguez Melendez faces a potential 20-year sentence.
Prior Warhol Forgery Case in South Florida
In a similar case, another South Florida art dealer received a federal prison sentence of two years and three months in 2023 for selling fake Warhol pieces. Daniel Elie Bouaziz, the former owner of two galleries in Palm Beach County, had pleaded guilty to a single count of money laundering; prosecutors agreed to drop 16 additional counts related to fraud and embezzlement as part of the plea agreement.
Andy Warhol: Pop Art Icon
Andy Warhol, a prominent American visual artist and filmmaker, is most notably associated with the Pop Art movement that gained prominence in the 1960s.