Father-Daughter Duo Admits to Forging Famous Art Worth $2 Million

A father-daughter duo has admitted to forging famous art worth $2 million. They’ve also claimed responsibility for tricking major art galleries into buying fake artwork. 

They’ve copied art from artists such as Banksy, Andy Warhol, and Andrew Wyeth. All three are visionaries in the field whose works sell for millions of dollars worldwide.

According to reports by The New York Post, Erwin Bankowski and his daughter, Karolina Bankowska, were found guilty of wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native-American-produced goods. 

As a result, they face a chance of imprisonment of three years, followed by $1.9 million in restitution. They also face potential deportation to Poland, where they’re from.

An unnamed co-conspirator who was involved in making these forged recreations is also involved in the mix. 

The father-daughter duo is originally from Poland and are its citizens, but were living in New Jersey. Upon reflection of the crime, Bankowska admitted her wrongdoing in the crime.

Before being declared guilty, she claimed to be well aware of her actions and admitted guilt. The two of them had separate lawyers who represented them in the case. The father was represented by Jeffrey Chabrowe.

He communicated in court through a Polish translator. His daughter, however, did not need one. And was represented by attorney Todd Spodek.

Like his daughter, Bankowski also admitted his guilt and claimed that the forgery was a “terrible decision” to support their family, which he regrets. More details about their trial remain unknown and are highly anticipated. 

How did the Father-Daughter duo Scam Major Art Galleries? 

As mentioned earlier, there was a co-conspirator involved in the case whose name remains under wraps. The prosecutors claimed the two first hired the individual in 2020 to create copies of highly valuable artwork made by famous artists.

To prove authenticity and sell the artwork better, they would attach stamps to antique paper with the names of prestigious shut-down galleries. To an art collector or a gallery owner, this is a huge mark of where the art has been. 

The prominent New York art dealer Robert Rogal recalled the time he encountered Bankowska when she sold him an art dupe of Wyeth’s works.

Now, keep in mind that the late artist’s work can sell anywhere between $100,000 to $500,000 and more. When the woman met Rogal, she held many intricately crafted landscape paintings that strongly resembled Wyeth’s works.

Since he claimed she appeared “credible,” he ended up buying the collection. But did note that at first glance, it wasn’t “an obvious counterfeit.” 

The Aftermath of the Art Scam

Prosecutors in the father-daughter duo case claim that these were just a few among the reported 200 counterfeits produced by them. Meaning, that’s how many (or more) people have been reportedly scammed by them. 

Not only have they been reportedly scammed, but they’ve also lost serious money for fakes. Speaking of which, they even managed to sell a dupe of artist Richard Mayhew’s works. Which fetched a whopping $160K in October 2025. 

Some of these art pieces, when sold to a gallery, often get sold to another after a certain period of time. So, across different prominent galleries, fakes of many renowned artists are being circulated. Whether or not those would be retrieved remains to be seen. 

Similarly, whether or not the father-daughter duo would be asked to pay the art galleries back for duping them is also unknown. For now, deportation to Poland is still very much on the table, along with jail time.