Miami Lawsuit Alleges $6.7M Andy Warhol Forgery Network
On September 9, a civil racketeering lawsuit was initiated in Miami-Dade, alleging that a Florida family was swindled out of more than $6.7 million through the sale of 200 counterfeit Andy Warhol artworks. Between 2023 and 2024, real-estate investor Richard Perlman and his family acquired these fraudulent prints. The lawsuit contends that the pieces were created in Peru, smuggled into the United States, and falsely certified by art dealers. Leslie Roberts, who owns the Miami Fine Art Gallery, is identified as the original seller, asserting it was a genuine error. Other defendants named are Nathan Isen, Oscar Cordova, Edward Kurstak, and Allan Dampf. The case underscores a 'pipeline of fraudulent works' and follows other recent incidents involving Warhol forgeries.
Key facts
- A civil racketeering lawsuit filed on September 9 in Miami-Dade county court alleges a multimillion-dollar Andy Warhol forgery scheme.
- Richard Perlman and his family spent over $6.7 million between 2023 and 2024 on more than 200 forged Warhol artworks.
- The works were allegedly painted in Peru, smuggled into the US, and falsely authenticated by a network of dealers.
- Leslie Roberts, owner of Miami Fine Art Gallery, sold the works and will be sentenced on related wire fraud charges later this month.
- Nathan Isen, convicted of money laundering in 2015, and his Philadelphia gallery Dane Fine Art were raided by the FBI in July.
- Oscar Cordova allegedly sold fake Warhol canvases to Roberts, and Edward Kurstak supposedly affixed phony authentication stamps.
- Retired Florida dentist Allan Dampf is accused of pushing false provenance for the artworks.
- In 2024, Italian police seized over 2,100 fakes, including Warhol pieces, in a 38-person international forgery operation.
Entities
Artists
- Andy Warhol
- Marc Chagall
- Richard Perlman
- Leslie Roberts
- Nathan Isen
- Oscar Cordova
- Edward Kurstak
- Allan Dampf
- Brian Walshe
- Queen Elizabeth II
- Debbie Harry
- Superman
- Pablo Picasso
- Nicky
- Eric Thompson
Institutions
- Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
- Miami Fine Art Gallery
- Dane Fine Art
- Christie's
- Sotheby's
- Wall Street Journal
- FBI
- Hyperallergic
- Andy Warhol Foundation
- Phillips
- Christie’s
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- The Wall Street Journal
- Artlyst
Locations
- Miami
- Florida
- United States
- Peru
- Philadelphia
- Italy
- Massachusetts
- Brooklyn
- Coconut Grove
- Krakow
- Poland