A 69-year-old Florida art dealer has been sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison for selling counterfeit Andy Warhol paintings. Daniel Elie Bouaziz, owner of Danieli Fine Art and Galerie Danieli in Palm Beach County, pleaded guilty in February to one count of money laundering, with prosecutors dropping 16 other fraud and embezzlement charges.
According to court records, Bouaziz sold fake artworks to a customer in October 2021, including pieces purportedly by Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring, and Henri Matisse. He claimed the works were authentic originals, some signed by the artists, and sold them for between $75,000 and $240,000.
The victim made a $200,000 down payment, which Bouaziz deposited and then wired to other accounts. Bouaziz was fined $15,000, and a restitution hearing is scheduled for 16 August.
Assistant US Attorney Sarah Schall argued for a 'reasonable' sentence given Bouaziz's age and poor health, but noted his philanthropy and high-end lifestyle masked his fraudulent activities. 'While Bouaziz may have been generous to some... he was defrauding others,' Schall said.
