Fort Pierce, Florida –
A South Florida art dealer pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday in connection with a scheme involving the sale of fake Andy Warhol paintings.
69-year-old Daniel Ellie Bouziz pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering in Fort Pierce federal court, and prosecutors decided to drop 16 counts related to fraud and embezzlement, according to court records. Agreed. He faces up to 10 years in prison at his May 30 sentencing hearing.
Prosecutors said Bouaziz, owner of Danieli Fine Art and Gallery Danieli in Palm Beach County, sold counterfeit artwork to a client in October 2021, including one purportedly by Warhol.
Bouaziz told customers that the pieces he was selling for between $75,000 and $240,000 were authentic and some were signed by the artist.
The customer gave Bouaziz a $200,000 down payment, which was credited to Bouaziz’s account, and then the mixed funds were then transferred to other accounts, according to people familiar with the matter.
Warhol was an American visual artist and filmmaker most associated with the Pop Art movement of the 1960s.
