Father daughter duo plead guilty to forging Banksy paintings in New York

Erwin Bankowski, 50, and Karolina Bankowska, 26, both of Lawrence, pleaded guilty last week to felony wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresentation of Native American-produced goods charges in the US District Court in Brooklyn, New York. The pair each face up to 20 years in prison and $1.9 million in restitution.

"For years, these defendants painted themselves as purveyors of fine art while selling lies on canvas to unsuspecting collectors," said US Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York in a press release. "Today's convictions strip away the varnish and reveal the fraud underneath."

The criminal scheme unfolded between 2020 and 2025. The defendants conspired to consign for auction over 200 counterfeit artworks, which they alleged were painted by famed artists, including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Raimond Staprans, Richard Mayhew, and Native American artist Fritz Scholder.

The defendants created fake histories of former custody and ownership to make some of the counterfeit works appear real. This included undertaking research to falsely claim that some of the items were in the private collections of individuals linked with the artists, closed art galleries, or organizations that were no longer in operation, investigators said.

According to the Department of Justice, the father-daughter duo strategically picked galleries and corporations that were no longer operating to make it difficult for galleries and potential buyers to verify the purported provenance of the counterfeit works. The defendants sold their counterfeit pieces to buyers for upwards of $160,000 and defrauded victims of at least $2 million throughout the course of their scheme.

"These two individuals didn't just sell counterfeit art - they undermined trust, exploited buyers, and attempted to profit from fraud, "said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle. "In this instance, the FBI with its partners has made it clear that those who manipulate the market for personal gain will be caught and held accountable."