Lawrence Father, Daughter Admit To Selling Fake Warhol, Picasso Art In $2M Fraud

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — A Lawrence Township father and daughter pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud and selling fake art by famous artists such as Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and Banksy.

Federal prosecutors say the pair spent five years flooding auction houses across the country with more than 200 counterfeit works attributed to some of the world's most famous artists.

Erwin Bankowski, 50, and Karolina Bankowska, 26, entered their pleas in federal court in Brooklyn before U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. They face up to 20 years in prison and must pay back at least $1.9 million in restitution.

Prosecutors say the pair, between 2020 and 2025, forged works falsely attributed to Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Raimond Staprans, Richard Mayhew and Native American Luiseño artist Fritz Scholder, then consigned them to galleries and auction houses nationwide at prices of up to $160,000 each. Victims lost at least $2 million in total.

To make the fakes look legitimate, the defendants fabricated ownership histories — known in the art world as provenance — tying the works to defunct galleries, dissolved corporations and private collectors associated with the artists. They deliberately targeted institutions that were no longer operating so buyers couldn't verify the claims.

In some cases, they went further, prosecutors said — purchasing antique books, printing forged gallery stamps and attaching fake certificates of authenticity on aged paper to the counterfeit pieces.

"For years, these defendants painted themselves as purveyors of fine art while selling lies on canvas to unsuspecting collectors," U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said. "Today's convictions strip away the varnish and reveal the fraud underneath."

FBI Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. said the case sends a clear message. "Those who manipulate the market for personal gain will be caught and held accountable," he said.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Director Doug Ault said the scheme caused harm beyond financial loss. "It steals from Native American artists and undermines the integrity of an entire cultural marketplace," he said.

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