Father-daughter pair pleads guilty to selling fake Picasso, Warhol, Banksy artworks

A father-daughter pair pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn on charges stemming from a years-long scheme to sell counterfeit artworks falsely attributed to some of the art world’s most recognized names, federal prosecutors announced.

Erwin Bankowski and Karolina Bankowska entered guilty pleas to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresentation of Native American-produced goods and products before United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis in the Eastern District of New York. The pair faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and restitution of at least $1.9 million when sentenced.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the defendants, between 2020 and 2025, conspired to consign more than 200 counterfeit artworks to galleries and auction houses across the country. The forged pieces were presented as works by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Banksy, Raimond Staprans, Richard Mayhew, and Fritz Scholder, a celebrated Native American Luiseño painter. Some pieces were listed for auction at prices as high as $160,000. Over the course of the scheme, the defendants defrauded victims of at least $2 million, prosecutors said.

To lend credibility to the fakes, the defendants constructed elaborate false provenance records — fabricated ownership histories suggesting the works had passed through private collections linked to the artists, or through galleries and corporations that had since closed. Prosecutors said the defendants deliberately targeted defunct entities to prevent buyers from verifying the ownership claims. In some cases, they went further, affixing forged gallery stamps to the works using custom-made stamps imprinted onto aged paper torn from antique books, along with forged certificates of authenticity.

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

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. said the case demonstrated that those who manipulate the art market for personal gain will be held accountable. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Director Doug Ault said the scheme also harmed Native American artists by undermining the integrity of the Indian arts marketplace.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Indian Arts and Crafts Act Investigative Unit, and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Indian Arts and Crafts Board.