Counterfeit Art Case Tied to Warhol, Picasso, and Banksy Ends in Guilty Pleas
A New Jersey couple has admitted to their roles in a counterfeit art scheme that prosecutors say moved roughly $2 million in fake works through the market, with pieces falsely attributed to Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Richard Mayhew, Banksy, and other artists. The case has drawn added attention because it includes a rarely used charge under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, a federal law that prohibits falsely marketing goods as Native American-made.
Erwin Bankowski and Karolina Bankowska pleaded guilty in the case, which prosecutors described in unusually blunt terms. Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement that the defendants “painted themselves as purveyors of fine art while selling lies on canvas to unsuspecting collectors.” He added that their convictions “strip away the varnish and reveal the fraud underneath.”
Prosecutors are seeking at least $1.9 million in restitution. The figure underscores how fraud cases in the art market often extend beyond the initial deception, reaching into the difficult work of tracing losses and assigning financial responsibility after the fact.
The defense has signaled acceptance of the outcome. Jeffrey Chabrowe, a lawyer for Erwin Bankowski, said his client accepted responsibility and had “made a terrible decision to support his family.” Todd Spodek, who represents Karolina Bankowska, said she had likewise taken responsibility for her crimes.
The case sits within a broader pattern of art-world fraud that relies on recognizable names, thin documentation, and the trust collectors place in attribution. When those elements are manipulated, the damage is not only financial. It also erodes confidence in the systems that determine what is real, what is valuable, and who gets to decide.
