Florida art dealer gets nearly 4 years in prison for scheme to sell fake Andy Warhol artworks

A South Florida art dealer was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison following a scheme involving the sale of counterfeit Andy Warhol artworks, federal authorities and court documents confirmed in Miami.

Leslie Howard Roberts, 63, the owner of Miami Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove, received a sentence of three years and 10 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A federal court judge also ordered Roberts to pay back nearly $2.6 million in restitution.

Incident Overview

According to federal court records and prosecutors, Leslie Howard Roberts engaged in a fraudulent scheme to market and sell counterfeit pieces presented as authentic original artworks by the renowned artist Andy Warhol. Operating through the Miami Fine Art Gallery located in Coconut Grove, Roberts falsely represented to prospective buyers and art collectors that the works were legitimate pieces obtained directly from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. To deceive victims and validate the authenticity of the transactions, Roberts generated and provided fake and fraudulent invoices. The illicit operation allowed Roberts to accumulate nearly $2.6 million in financial proceeds through the deceptive sales of fake art.

Suspect Information

Leslie Howard Roberts, 63, operated as an established art dealer in South Florida. Roberts served as the owner and operator of the Miami Fine Art Gallery, a commercial art gallery situated in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida. No additional prior criminal history or personal background details were disclosed in the official federal court filings or public announcements released by prosecutors.

Evidence Collected

According to court records and federal prosecutors, key evidence identified during the federal investigation included:

• Deceptive documentation, including fake and fraudulent sales invoices produced to misrepresent artwork provenance.
• Counterfeit artworks fraudulently presented to prospective art buyers as original creations by artist Andy Warhol.
• Financial and sales records establishing nearly $2.6 million in illegal earnings generated by the gallery scheme.

Arrest Details

Federal law enforcement authorities took Leslie Howard Roberts into custody in April 2025 following an investigation into fraudulent art sales conducted through his Coconut Grove gallery. The arrest preceded formal court proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, leading to his eventual guilty plea to federal conspiracy charges and subsequent sentencing in Miami federal court.

Charges Filed

Federal prosecutors charged Leslie Howard Roberts with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a felony charge to which he formally entered a guilty plea prior to sentencing.

• Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud (18 U.S.C. Section 1349): This federal felony charge applies when two or more individuals agree or act in concert to execute a scheme to defraud another party of money or property using interstate wire communications, such as telephone calls, electronic mail, bank transfers, or digital invoicing systems. Under federal statute, wire fraud carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, substantial monetary fines, and mandatory restitution to victims. Conspiracy charges specifically target the agreement and deliberate steps taken to carry out the fraudulent enterprise. In federal cases involving substantial financial losses exceeding millions of dollars, advisory sentencing guidelines calculate proposed prison terms based on the monetary threshold of the fraud, the degree of planning, and the abuse of a position of trust.

Court Information

The criminal proceedings were conducted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, located in Miami. Following his guilty plea, Roberts was sentenced by a federal district judge to serve 46 months (three years and 10 months) in federal custody. In addition to his prison term, the court issued a mandatory restitution order requiring Roberts to repay nearly $2.6 million, representing the illicit proceeds acquired through the art fraud operation. Federal court docket numbers and specific facility assignment details were not immediately released in public agency announcements. Unlike state criminal justice systems, the federal penal system does not offer parole. Individuals sentenced to federal prison terms must serve at least 85 percent of their total sentence under federal statutory requirements before becoming eligible for supervised release, after accounting for potential credit for good behavior while incarcerated.

Statements from Authorities

Following the sentencing hearing, federal prosecutors highlighted the severity of financial fraud within the commercial art market.

"He exploited the trust that collectors place in art dealers and the authenticity of the works they purchase," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement released by federal prosecutors.

Public Safety Information

Financial crimes and fraudulent art investment schemes cause severe economic harm to individual buyers and damage public confidence in legitimate commercial markets. Buyers purchasing high value collectibles, fine art, or rare commodities are encouraged to conduct independent due diligence, obtain third-party verifications from accredited appraisal institutions, and independently verify provenance documentation directly with official artist foundations or recognized registries before transferring funds. Victims of financial fraud, wire schemes, or corporate misrepresentation are urged to report suspicious transactions to law enforcement agencies. Reports can be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

What Happens Next

Following the imposition of the federal sentence, Leslie Howard Roberts will be designated to a facility managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his 46-month prison term. Upon completion of his term of incarceration, Roberts will be subject to a period of court ordered supervised release, during which he must comply with mandatory conditions established by the federal probation office. Financial officers and federal authorities will oversee the execution of the $2.6 million restitution judgment to ensure recovered funds are properly distributed to identified victims of the fraud scheme.