A Florida art dealer received a federal prison sentence of 46 months for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme involving counterfeit Andy Warhol artworks.
True
A Florida art dealer was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for a scheme to sell fake Andy Warhol artworks.
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Verified October 17, 2026Key Evidence
A Florida art gallery owner was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for selling counterfeit Andy Warhol artwork.
The court ordered the defendant to pay nearly 2.6 million dollars in restitution.
Reliable news reports and fact-checking records confirm the details of the federal sentencing.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
Federal court proceedings established that Leslie Howard Roberts, who operated the Miami Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove, Florida, engaged in a systematic effort to distribute fake Andy Warhol pieces. Judicial authorities handed down a prison term of 46 months, which equates to nearly four years, along with an order to pay restitution amounting to nearly 2.6 million dollars.news4jax.comnews4jax.comFlorida Art Dealer Gets Nearly 4 Years in Prison for Scheme to Sell Fake Andy...Who: Leslie Howard Roberts (62–63 years old), the owner of the Miami Fine Art Gallery located in Coconut Grove, Florida Altman sentenced Roberts to 46 months (3 years and 10 months) in federal prison He was also ordered to pay back nearly...
Reporting from regional and national news organizations confirmed the details of the sentencing by Judge Altman in the federal case. The Associated Press explicitly evaluated the underlying reports and verified the accuracy of the account regarding the counterfeit Warhol operation.apnews.comapnews.comAndy Warhol Fakes Florida Miami Art Ab09dd49d6f3d605f1339af074827fa8Fact Check Status: TRUE Additional local reporting corroborated the length of the prison term and the specific parameters of the judgment against the gallery owner.
tampabay.comtampabay.comWarhol Counterfeit Fraud Sentenced MiamiAltman sentenced Roberts to 46 months (3 years and 10 months) in federal prison
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Florida Art Dealer Gets Nearly 4 Years in Prison for Scheme to Sell Fake Andy...Primary Source Extraction
Verified Document Excerpt
"MIAMI – A South Florida art dealer has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for a scheme that involved selling fake Andy Warhol artworks. Leslie Howard Roberts, 63, was sentenced in Miami federal court this month to three years and 10 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He must also pay back nearly $2.6 million that he earned from the scheme. Roberts, the owner of Miami Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove, was arrested in April 2025. According to court records, he fraudulently represented art as original pieces created by renowned artist Andy Warhol. Prosecutors said Roberts falsely claimed that he acquired the artwork directly from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and provided fake and fraudulent invoices."