California man who flaunted his glitzy lifestyle on Instagram is sentenced to five years in prison for trying to sell $6 MILLION worth of fake artworks he claimed were by Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat
A California man who tried to sell $6 million worth of phony paintings has been jailed for five years.
Philip Righter, 43, was handed down the sentence in Miami Wednesday, after pleading guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the US Department of Justice, Righter's scheme involved buying copies of artworks by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Andy Warhol from websites such as eBay.
A statement from the DoJ reads: 'Once he had the forgeries, Righter tried to make them appear legitimate by creating letters that falsely certified their authenticity'.
Philip Righter, 43, was handed down the sentence in Miami Wednesday, after pleading guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft
This evidence photo shows bogus artwork - a fake Jean-Michel Basquiat with a forged certificate of authenticity
In several instances, 'Righter created letters that appeared to be from 'The Estate of Keith Haring' and the 'Authentication Committee of the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.'
Righter 'designed and purchased embossers bearing the names of the estate and foundation for Haring and Basquiat. He stamped the forged letters with the custom embossers, trying to enhance the look of legitimacy.'
Additionally, he forged the signatures of representatives of the estate and foundation on those letters.
Righter sold the bogus artworks from 2016 through June of 2018, causing more $758,000 in losses to various art galleries.
Just before he was nabbed by the FBI, Righter sent some forged artworks from his home in Los Angeles to a South Florida gallery that had expressed interest in them.
Righter's asking price for the bogus artworks was a whopping $1.05 million, and he directed the gallery owner to wire him the money.
Righter claimed his bogus artworks were actually originals from Andy Warhol (left) and Keith Haring (right)
Righter worked as a producer, and his Instagram shows him on various red carpets
Investigators swooped before the transaction was complete, seizing the fake works.
A consolidated restitution hearing is set for September 30.
Despite pleading guilty, Righter has offered no public explanation as to why he engaged in the art fraud.
The Hollywood-based felon worked as a producer, and his Instagram shows him on various red carpets.
Righter's social media biography states that he is an 'Oscar, Grammy and Emmy Winner'- although that, too, appears to be a work of fiction.
Righter is pictured on a red carpet in an old social media snap. He will spend the next five years behind bars
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