Miami art dealer Leslie Roberts sentenced for selling fake Andy Warhol art

art fraud Andy Warhol wire fraud forged artwork Miami art dealer

Leslie Howard Roberts, owner of the Miami Fine Art Gallery, has been sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison for a conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving forged Andy Warhol artworks. Roberts pleaded guilty to the scheme, which included using fraudulent invoices, fabricated authentication documents, and counterfeit stamps to deceive collectors.

Prosecutors stated that Roberts falsely claimed the pieces were acquired directly from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. To further the deception, Roberts enlisted Carlos Rodriguez Melendez, who posed as an employee of a New York-based auction company to provide false authentication. Melendez also pleaded guilty and received probation.

In addition to his prison sentence, Roberts was ordered to pay back approximately $2.6 million earned through the scheme. This case follows other recent art fraud convictions in South Florida, including a 2023 sentence for dealer Daniel Elie Bouaziz.

Entities

Andy Warhol · Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts · Carlos Rodriguez Melendez · Leslie Howard Roberts · Miami Fine Art Gallery · The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] Roberts was arrested in April 2025. www.brandonsun.com · www.independent.co.uk
[● 2 SOURCES] Roberts must pay back nearly $2.6 million earned from the scheme. www.brandonsun.com · www.independent.co.uk
[○ 1 SOURCE] Carlos Rodriguez Melendez posed as an auction company employee to falsely authenticate forged artwork. www.independent.co.uk
[○ 1 SOURCE] Roberts used fraudulent invoices, fabricated authentication documents, and counterfeit stamps. usaartnews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Leslie Roberts exploited the trust of art collectors regarding the authenticity of purchased works. usaartnews.com · www.brandonsun.com · www.independent.co.uk
[● 2 SOURCES] Roberts pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. www.brandonsun.com · www.independent.co.uk
[● 2 SOURCES] Roberts is the owner of Miami Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove. www.brandonsun.com · www.independent.co.uk
[● 3 SOURCES] Leslie Howard Roberts was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison. usaartnews.com · www.brandonsun.com · www.independent.co.uk