Ever been passing through the Grove and spotted a “diminutive, nattily dressed fellow with dark, bushy eyebrows and a conspicuous toupee”? If so, you may have seen Leslie Roberts, the man the Miami New Times describes as the “notorious” Miami art dealer.
Now a federal judge is looking for him.
Roberts, who previously pleaded guilty and served prison time for selling forged Peter Max works, was supposed to be in federal court last Friday for another sentencing. This time, he’s being sentenced for selling forged Andy Warhol works.
But he didn’t show up.
Judge Altman has continued the sentencing for a week while the government and Roberts’s lawyer try to find him.
The Warhol forgery scheme was quite elaborate. It even involved a co-conspirator posing as a “senior art appraisal authenticator” to authenticate the works. The guy reportedly showed up dressed in black and wearing white gloves and everything.
I’m sharing an article here that includes a picture of Roberts.
A friendly bit of advice: If you see him, exercise caution regarding any significant art purchases.
I don’t know. He looks like the real deal to me.
ReplyDeleteThe art world is rife with fraud. Forgeries are as much the rule as they are the exception. It is difficult to have any sympathy for so called victims They let their egos get in the way of honest appraisals and scientifically based authentications. Peddling art is akin to dancers strutting their wares at so called gentlemen's clubs that dart the Miami landscape. The thrill of the sizzle gets in the way of the steak and before you get hold of your senses, someone else is walking around with your money.
ReplyDeleteSo that great deal I’m getting on the Van Gough sunflowers is off?
ReplyDelete11th Circuit denied the motion to stay sanctions on lawyers who filed collusive “lawsuit” of Trump against his own IRS and then “settled” the “lawsuit” to Trumps benefit. Those sanctions were ordered by Judge Williams. One of the lawyers sanctioned is the controversially appointed dean of FIU law, Daniel Epstein. He is not a FL lawyer and due to misconduct and sanctions cannot appear pro hac vice. Yet he leads FIU law thanks to Desantis and his cronies. Hope we get a new governor that depoliticizes and de-Trumps our public universities and law schools.
ReplyDelete