Miami, Florida — On April 9, FBI agents raided the Miami Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove, carrying away boxes of materials as part of an ongoing investigation. The gallery, located at 3180 Commodore Plaza, has become the focus of legal scrutiny following allegations of art fraud tied to its owner, Leslie Roberts.
Two years earlier, real estate investor Richard Perlman and his son Matthew visited the same gallery during a stroll through the neighborhood. They were impressed by the gallery’s extensive inventory, which featured pieces attributed to Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Banksy, Jeff Koons, and a particularly large collection of works credited to Andy Warhol.
After purchasing several Warhol pieces, the Perlmans were invited by Roberts to join a venture involving the acquisition and resale of Warhol artwork, allegedly sourced directly from the Andy Warhol Foundation. In August 2023, the Perlmans agreed to formalize the partnership. They were introduced to a supposed foundation employee named Alex Herman, who claimed the foundation was raising funds through the sale of rare Warhol canvases.
Doubts arose when the Perlmans began to question the authenticity of the artwork. In response, Roberts sent two individuals posing as appraisers from the prestigious auction house Phillips. While the men claimed the pieces were authentic, the Perlmans later learned that neither was affiliated with Phillips, and the business cards they presented were fake. One of them, it turned out, worked at Roberts’ own gallery.
Now involved in a lawsuit against Roberts, the Perlmans say they were misled and defrauded. Their attorney has stated that legal action will continue until Roberts is held accountable. Roberts’ legal team has declined to comment on the FBI raid or the lawsuit.
Retired FBI special agent Robert Giczy, who spent much of his career investigating art fraud, says the case resembles previous schemes run by Roberts. Giczy had firsthand experience with Roberts in the mid-2010s, when Roberts was convicted for selling forged Peter Max artwork.
Roberts' past is filled with legal and personal turmoil. Originally from South Miami-Dade, Roberts experienced tragedy early on when his mother was convicted of murdering his father. Raised by relatives, he developed a reputation as a charming manipulator. After a short stint at the University of Miami, which he falsely claimed he attended longer, Roberts began a career in finance, working for major brokerage firms.
In the 1980s, Roberts defrauded a relative while working as a stockbroker, fabricating massive returns on investments and spending extravagantly on luxury goods. He was arrested at 23 and sentenced to 15 years in prison for mail fraud and conspiracy.
In recent years, Roberts reinvented himself as a high-end art dealer, despite a history of convictions and ongoing lawsuits. He has gone by multiple names and operated several galleries throughout Coconut Grove. Since 2010, he has faced numerous civil cases accusing him of selling forged or undelivered artwork.
In 2015, Roberts was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for mail fraud related to counterfeit art. During the investigation, FBI agents uncovered over 300 forged artworks, some with fake certificates crafted to appear legitimate. Roberts was caught on multiple occasions attempting to retrieve fraudulent art from clients before the FBI could seize it.
While under supervised release, Roberts continued to violate court restrictions, leading to another prison term in 2018. After his release ended in 2021, he resumed working in the art world, despite his history.
In one instance, Giczy witnessed a family unknowingly bring a forged painting to a Peter Max signing event. The piece was so convincing that it took a trained eye to recognize it as one of Roberts’ past forgeries. Rather than embarrass the family, the gallery staff declined to have it signed, allowing them to leave unaware.
The FBI’s recent raid suggests that authorities may be closing in on what could be another chapter in Roberts’ long and controversial history in the art world. Multiple lawsuits remain active, and the investigation is ongoing.
Back