An $11 million fake sculpture being sold in New York City has landed a Queens man behind bars, according to The Associated Press .
Brian Ramnarine was arrested on Thursday for attempting to pass off a fake Jasper Johns sculpture as the real thing. As a result of his misguided actions, the man was picked up by authorities and charged with one count of wire fraud.
According to the Daily Mail , Ramnarine received the mold from Johns back in the 1960s in order to make a wax cast of the artist’s well-known creation entitled “Flag.” However, Johns never asked Ramnarine to return the mold.
Years later, Ramnarine has allegedly used the “Flag” mold to create a bronze version of Johns’ famous piece in an attempt to make some easy cash on the side. Authorities say the mold was used without the artist’s permission and contained a forged version of his signature.
Ramnarine will now face criminal charges for attempting to pass off the $11 million fake sculpture as the real deal. If he’s found guilty of the crimes, the suspect could face up to 20 years behind bars.
According to the New York Times , the 58-year-old Queens foundry owner attempted to pull a similar scam with a fake sculpture about ten years ago. Ramnarine was ultimately found guilty of falsifying business records. In addition to paying $100,000 in restitution, he was also placed on five years probation.
The suspect sold three fake metal sculptures to a pair of art buyers. The individuals claim that Ramnarine told them the pieces where crafted by a handful of postmodern artists.
Ramnarine has stated that the original Japser Johns mold was destroyed years ago when he was evicted by a landlord.
The suspect has pleaded not guilty to the charge of wire fraud stemming from his $11 million fake sculpture scam. He was released on $250,000 bond.
