Two alleged art scammers used their Laguna Beach gallery as a front to peddle fake Damien Hirst prints across the globe — until a pair of New Yorkers got wise and alerted authorities.
Vincent Lopreto, 48, and his partner, Ronald Bell, 49, of the Jazzartz gallery allegedly sold hundreds of thousands of dollars in phony prints by the famed formaldehyde-loving British artist on eBay and through auction houses, using fake letters of authenticity, according to the Manhattan DA’s Office.
But the dubious dealers made a fatal error when they ripped off two New Yorkers. One of the victims had purchased a counterfeit limited-edition print titled “Valium” — likely produced by a high-end digital copier — for approximately $2,000. A print of the work, which depicts a kaleidoscope of colored dots, can go for as much as $30,000.
The suspicious New Yorkers contacted authorities, prompting undercover DA’s Office agents to set up a sting in which they purchased three additional prints on eBay.
According to the complaint, an expert determined that “the coloring, the spacing and paper is not consistent with genuine prints of original artwork by Damien Hirst.’’
The suspects appeared in Manhattan court Thursday to face charges of identity theft and fraud. Lopreto’s lawyer, Jessica Horani, declined comment. Attempts to find Bell’s lawyer were unsuccessful.