Roberts
TOWN OF WALLKILL – A Buckeye, Arizona man is in the Orange County
Jail on charges of grand larceny and attempted grand larceny, both as
felonies, for allegedly selling forged artworks.
Gerrell Roberts, 39, was arrested at Stewart Airport last Friday when
he flew there believing he was collecting a check for $298,000 for artwork
that he was selling.
The investigation began when a Town of Wallkill art dealer called State
Police to report that two pieces of forged art may have been sold through
his auction house. The dealer told police he had brokered a deal with
Roberts, who was selling what he described as original Tom Wesselmann
and Andy Warhol pieces that were part of his family’s art collection.
Both pieces were sold to a private collector in Connecticut and shortly
thereafter, the art dealer was informed that the Wesselman piece had been
appraised and determined to be a forgery. The Warhol piece is still being
examined.
The local dealer was also in possession of two other pieces of art from
Roberts, a Jean-Michel Basquiat, “The Red King,” and a Moise
Kisling piece, “Sophie.” Both of those were determined to
be forgeries.
Investigators had the art dealer contact Roberts and tell him that he
sold the two pieces for $298,000 and that he would have to travel to New
York for payment.
After arraignment, Roberts was committed to the Orange County Jail in
lieu of $90,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond.
