# Miami art dealer Andy Warhol forgery sentencing

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/miami-art-dealer-andy-warhol-forgery-sentencing
> Updated: 2026-10-19T00:00:00.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2.

Leslie Howard Roberts, owner of the Miami Fine Art Gallery, has been sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Roberts pleaded guilty to a scheme involving the sale of forged Andy Warhol artworks.

To deceive collectors, Roberts falsely claimed the pieces were acquired directly from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The operation utilized fraudulent invoices, fabricated authentication documents, and counterfeit stamps. A co-conspirator, Carlos Miguel Rodriguez Melendez, assisted the scheme by posing as an employee of a New York-based auction company to provide false authentication. Melendez pleaded guilty and received probation.

In addition to his prison term, Roberts was ordered to pay approximately $2.6 million in restitution.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-19: Florida art dealer sentenced for Andy Warhol forgery scheme

A Florida art dealer, Leslie Howard Roberts, has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for a $2.6 million scheme involving the sale of fake Andy Warhol artworks.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/florida-art-dealer-sentenced-for-andy-warhol-forgery-scheme

### 2026-10-16: Miami art dealer Leslie Roberts sentenced for selling fake Andy Warhol art

Miami art dealer Leslie Howard Roberts has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for selling forged Andy Warhol artworks and defrauding collectors of approximately $2.6 million.

11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/miami-art-dealer-leslie-roberts-sentenced-to-46-months-for-selling-fake-andy-warhol-art

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Cite as: Miami art dealer Andy Warhol forgery sentencing. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/miami-art-dealer-andy-warhol-forgery-sentencing