Father and daughter plead guilty to $2 million art scam
New Jersey resident Erwin Bankowski and his daughter Karolina have pleaded guilty to a years-long fraudulent art scheme that defrauded buyers out of an estimated $2 million.
The 50-year-old and his 26-year-old daughter appeared in federal court in Brooklyn, where they admitted to funnelling fake works into the legitimate art market.
The pair now face up to two decades in prison, alongside at least $1.9 million in restitution, after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresentation of Native American-produced goods and products.
The scam allegedly stretched from 2020 to 2025, during which the duo sold over 200 counterfeit works of famed artists, including those by Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Andy Warhol, and Fritz Scholder.
According to the government report, the pair would generate false histories of prior custody and ownership for the counterfeit works they were selling, alleging in their reportage that some of the works had been in private collections of individuals associated with the artist, had been owned by galleries now closed, or had been in private collections of no-longer-operating corporations.
Covering all corners, they also produced fake gallery stamps and certificates of authenticity. They asked for up to $160,000 for each piece; at this price (and below), due diligence can be uneven.
“For years, these defendants painted themselves as purveyors of fine art while selling lies on canvas to unsuspecting collectors,” stated United States Attorney Nocella at the hearing, before adding, “Today’s convictions strip away the varnish and reveal the fraud underneath.”
Doug Ault of the US Fish and Wildlife Service added that their scheme “doesn’t just cheat buyers, it steals from Native American artists and undermines the integrity of an entire cultural marketplace.”
Ault added, “Selling fake Native American art is a serious crime, and our Special Agents investigate these cases to hold offenders accountable and protect authentic Indian artists, their work, and their livelihoods.”
