A very daring scam.
Between 2018 and 2023, a group of eight people deceived 113 collectors, stealing nearly 2.6 million euros,
Le Figaro
learned from the Nanterre court, confirming information from BFMTV.
Placed under judicial supervision, the defendants will be tried next May.
“Organized gang counterfeiting”
The investigation, entrusted to the Central Office for the Fight against Trafficking in Cultural Property (OCBC), was opened for “organized gang fraud”, “aggravated money laundering”, “tax fraud laundering” and “organized gang counterfeiting”. ".
The defendants, according to BFMTV, sold paintings on which they affixed false stamps by great masters of painting, including that of the famous father of Pop Art, Andy Warhol.
Other signatures would have been imitated, including that of the roaring Fauvist and surrealist painter Marc Chagall, or that of the Catalan artist Jean Miro.
False certificates of authenticity were also allegedly made.
To justify these sales, the crooks told rich buyers that the seller was none other than an heir wishing to get rid of these cumbersome paintings and quickly obtain cash.
“Resistance”, “Resurrection”, “Liberation”, work by Marc Chagall, presented as part of the exhibition “Chagall, the ferryman of light”.
(Illustrative image)
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN / AFP
All suspects were brought in on Friday March 15 in the afternoon.
They subsequently appeared as part of an immediate appearance procedure before the 15th criminal chamber of the Nanterre court.
Apart from the eight individuals suspected of having participated in this vast scam, two legal entities are also involved, according to our information.