A father-daughter duo from New Jersey, Erwin Bankowski (50) and Karolina Bankowska (26), pleaded guilty to creating and selling over 200 counterfeit artworks falsely attributed to artists including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Fritz Scholder, and Banksy. They admitted to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresentation of Native American-produced goods, defrauding buyers out of at least $2 million. The pair fabricated provenances and collection histories, forged gallery stamps, and attempted to auction the works for up to $160,000 each. They each face up to 20 years in prison.
This case matters because it highlights the persistent vulnerability of the art market to sophisticated forgery schemes, which not only cheat collectors but also harm living artists—particularly Native American artists whose cultural heritage and livelihoods are undermined by fraudulent works. The involvement of federal agencies (U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) underscores the seriousness of art fraud as a criminal enterprise with cultural and economic consequences.