A bungling fraudster who attempted to deceive one of the world's most renowned auction houses into selling counterfeit Bronze Age statues has been spared an immediate prison sentence. Andrew Crowley, 46, from Longwell Green in Gloucestershire, fabricated paperwork to support the provenance of ancient stone figures, claiming he had inherited them from his wealthy grandfather, John, who supposedly purchased them from a New York dealer in 1976.
However, experts at Sotheby's in London grew suspicious and alerted the Metropolitan Police. The FBI also became involved, helping investigators conclude that the statues were likely modern replicas, worth far less than the hundreds of thousands of pounds claimed. The typeface used on the 1976 documents, printed on paper with an embossed antique dealer's logo and a nine-pence stamp, was not in use until the early 2000s, according to prosecutors.
The three Cycladic figures and one Anatolian stargazer statuette were valued at approximately £680,000 by prosecutors. At Southwark Crown Court, Crowley admitted dishonestly making a false representation to Sotheby's with the intent to gain between November 4, 2022, and July 27, 2023. He received a two-year suspended sentence.
Judge Nicholas Rimmer remarked: "It was a crude attempt because Sotheby's rumbled, to use the vernacular, or spotted, these documents as bogus fairly early on." Detectives from the Met's Art and Antiques Unit launched an investigation after Crowley contacted Sotheby's in October 2022, asking them to sell the items on his behalf. The stone figures, roughly 30cm tall and each weighing around 1kg, were purportedly from the Cyclades islands in modern-day Greece and dated from the Bronze Age, at least 3,000 years ago.
Sotheby's experts became concerned when they spotted multiple spelling errors, including in the supplier's title. The judge accepted that Crowley inherited the statues from his grandfather and did not believe they were counterfeits. The dealer's embossed logo, which appeared genuine to the untrained eye, was created using a pen or artist's tool rather than a stamp, police said.
Crowley was arrested outside Sotheby's in New Bond Street, Mayfair, on July 27, 2023, after being invited to a meeting with experts. The statues, believed to be modern replicas, were seized. Detective Constable Ray Swan, who led the Met's investigation, said: "This is an excellent example of cross-border cooperation that has effectively prevented harm to the London art market. It was a sophisticated fraud that required substantial planning." He added: "This case also highlights the crucial role played by industry experts in helping to protect the integrity of the London art market. Sotheby's staff acted responsibly and swiftly in raising their concerns, and their cooperation was instrumental in preventing a significant fraud."
A spokesman for Sotheby's said: "In the course of our normal due diligence processes, concerns were identified and shared promptly with the Metropolitan Police. We are grateful to have been able to work closely with the Met's Art and Antiques Unit and are glad to have supported such a meticulous and superbly executed investigation that has helped prevent fraudulent material entering the market." Crowley was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,630 in costs over three months.
