New Jersey Duo Pleads Guilty to $2 Million Art Forgery Scheme Involving Warhol and Banksy
A father and daughter from New Jersey, Erwin Bankowski and Karolina Bankowska, have pleaded guilty to a federal court for orchestrating a large-scale art forgery scheme. Between 2020 and 2025, they sold over 200 counterfeit artworks falsely attributed to renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Banksy, and Pablo Picasso. The duo managed to deceive auction houses and galleries across the United States, amassing approximately $2 million. They went to great lengths to fabricate the provenance of these artworks, including forging certificates of authenticity using antique books. Many of the forgeries were created by an artist based in Poland. The scheme also involved the misrepresentation of Native American-produced goods, leading to additional federal charges. 
