New Jersey Father and Daughter Plead Guilty to Selling Fake Artworks, Defrauding Buyers
A father and daughter from New Jersey, Erwin Bankowski and Karolina Bankowska, have admitted in court to orchestrating a counterfeit art scheme that deceived art galleries and auction houses into purchasing forged paintings. These forgeries included works falsely attributed to renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Banksy, and Pablo Picasso. The scheme, which began in 2020, involved commissioning an artist in Poland to create at least 200 fake artworks. The duo used antique paper and forged stamps to make the paintings appear authentic, even adopting the names of defunct galleries to lend credibility. The fraudulent activities resulted in defrauding buyers of at least $2 million. The most lucrative fake, attributed to artist Richard Mayhew, was sold for $160,000. Both Bankowski and Bankowska have expressed remorse in court, facing potential prison sentences and financial restitution. 
