ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a Florida gallery owner has been arrested on federal charges for peddling fake art pieces, claiming the cheap reproductions were in fact originals by Andy Warhol, Banksy, Roy Lichtenstein, Jean-Michel Basquiat and others. A complaint filed in South Florida federal court Thursday accuses Palm Beach art dealer Daniel Elie Bouaziz of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Bouaziz is a French citizen of Algerian descent. He was ordered released on $500,000 bail after an initial hearing Friday. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges, according to court records. Prosecutors said Bouaziz bought some of the reproductions online and then sold some for huge sums.
Florida gallery owner charged with peddling fake art pieces
