This is going to make even more difficult to sell my yard gnome by
Michelangelo.............
CHICAGO – A suburban Chicago man pleaded guilty Tuesday to swindling at
least 250 people out of more than $1 million through the sale of counterfeit
prints advertised as the work of Pablo Picasso and other major contemporary
artists.
Michael Zabrin of Northbrook admitted sometimes paying between $1,000 and
$1,500 for counterfeit limited edition fine art prints produced in Spain and
Italy and reselling them on eBay for many times that amount.
In his signed plea agreement with prosecutors, 57-year-old Zabrin said he
would send away to his Italian source for fake Picassos, saying: "I need
some P's." When he needed bogus works by Roy Lichtenstein, he would say: "I
need some L's."
In the summer of 2004, Zabrin purchased eight counterfeit works
purportedly by Marc Chagall for $20,000 "which he resold at no less than three
times
his cost," according to the plea agreement which was presented to Judge
Robert M. Dow Jr.
Zabrin agreed in the document that he caused foreseeable losses of more
than $1 million but less than $2.5 million with works turned out by "the
Spanish guy" and another supplier in Italy. He also admitted trading fake art
works with other dealers.
Zabrin was among seven people charged in March 2008 on charges of trading
in fake works by Picasso, Lichtenstein, Chagall, Joan Miro and Salvador
Dali. He was the first to be convicted. Charges against the six others are
pending.
Zabrin pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of
$250,000. But prosecutors calculated that under federal sentencing
guidelines Zabrin could be facing a prison term in the 10- to 13-year range.
Dow set March 23 for sentencing.
According to the plea agreement, Zabrin had been previously convicted of
telephone harassment, mail fraud and retail theft.
Zabrin admitted conducting 280 sales of fraudulent art on eBay through his
companies, Fineartmasters and ZFineartmasters. When some customers
realized they had bought fakes, they returned them. Zabrin acknowledged that
he
then waited a few months and resold them to someone else.
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