New Jersey Father and Daughter Plead Guilty to Art Forgery Scheme in NYC
Erwin Bankowski and his daughter Karolina Bankowska, residents of New Jersey, have admitted to running a $2 million art forgery operation. They sold fake artworks, allegedly by renowned artists like Banksy and Warhol, to New York City's art auction houses. The forgeries were crafted by a Polish artist and included fake stamps and antique paper to mimic authenticity. The scheme, which began in 2020, involved over 200 counterfeit pieces. The duo's most lucrative fake, attributed to Richard Mayhew, fetched $160,000. They face charges of wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native American-produced goods, with potential prison time and deportation. 
