Art dealer makes $80 million in scams; receives no prison time

NEW YORK (AP) – A New York art dealer who scammed the art world for 15 years with fake paintings in an $80 million fraud will not go to prison.

Federal Judge Katherine Failla told Glafira Rosales on Tuesday that her cooperation with the government and solid relationship with her daughter helped earn her freedom. She ordered Rosales to spend nine months in home detention.

The 60-year-old Sands Point, New York, woman pleaded guilty in 2013. The fraud duped art enthusiasts into buying counterfeits imitating famous artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning.

A prosecutor said Rosales’s cooperation enabled the government to learn exactly how the fraud was carried out, including how the paintings were created.

A defense lawyer said Rosales’ former boyfriend abused her and forced her to participate in the fraud.

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1/31/2017 6:53:32 PM (GMT -5:00)