Former Coconut Grove gallery owner Leslie Howard Roberts sentenced to 46 months for $2.58 million fake Warhol scheme
Leslie Howard Roberts, former owner of Miami Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison after admitting he sold counterfeit Andy Warhol artworks. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman imposed the sentence Oct. 2 after Roberts pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme involving about $2.58 million in fraudulent art sales.
Roberts did not appear for his original sentencing date. His attorney told the court he feared Roberts might have suffered a medical emergency or attempted to take his own life.
The 46-month term is at the low end of the advisory federal sentencing range of 46 to 57 months. Roberts had asked the court for a sentence below that range, saying his cooperation with investigators helped expose what his attorney described as potentially the largest art-related fraud network in U.S. history.
Prosecutors said Roberts sold fake Warhol works through his gallery, and buyers paid for artwork attributed to the pop artist that was not authentic.
Roberts operated Miami Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove. His cooperation with investigators extended the case beyond the sales at his gallery.
The U.S. Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether additional charges or defendants are expected in the investigation.
