Basquiat Forger Arrested By FBI
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Sunday, October 11, 2026


Basquiat Forger Arrested By FBI



NEW YORK.- New York artist Alfredo Martinez has been charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with attempting to deceive two art dealers by selling them $185,000 worth of fake drawings by the famed graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Martinez, a 300-pound Puerto Rico native, is wellknown on the downtown alternative scene. He has also organized large group exhibitions in vacant industrial spaces, including "Playground of the Fearless" in Brooklyn in late 2001. The charges against Martinez, which landed him in Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correction Center on June 19, 2002, involve an alleged scheme to sell fake Basquiat drawings, accompanied by forged certificates of authenticity, to SoHo dealer Leo Malca and a second art dealer. Martinez’ whereabouts could not be determined, but it has been suggested that Martinez is a "con artist" in more ways than one, and would use his arrest to seek notoriety.



Today's News

October 11, 2026

Prado marks Queen Christina of Sweden's 400th anniversary with cultural program

Berlinische Galerie presents major Lovis Corinth survey exploring his Berlin breakthrough

Pre-Hispanic frog pendants shed light on ancient Maya trade and beliefs

First major U.S. Marcel Duchamp survey in 50 years opens at Philadelphia Museum of Art

Kunstmuseum Den Haag celebrates its unique collection in a big way

Large Glass presents Mario Cresci's 'People I Care About', tracing 1960s Southern Italy

Tate St Ives commissions site-specific textile installation by Turkish artist Gözde İlkin

Musée de Valence presents 'Neon Club', a major solo exhibition by Amélie Bertrand

Mennello Museum of American Art presents Isamu Noguchi's 'Metal the Mirror'

MoMI presents 28-film series celebrating the legacy of Vincente and Liza Minnelli

Over 70 works by 50 artists examine the cultural politics of food at Stedelijk Museum Schiedam

Gary-Ross Pastrana explores collage as a visual language in new exhibition at Silverlens

Dan Levenson explores art, physics, and fiction in exhibition at Timothy Hawkinson Gallery

Exhibition marks a century since Alan Turing's Dorset schooldays and his indelible legacy on the 20th and 21st centuries

-ATI presents new installation at Künstlerhaus Stuttgart exploring laughter as protest

Chiara Camoni explores the dark, subversive side of floral motifs at La Societ delle Api

Mid-century ceramic pioneer Laura Andreson spotlighted in long-overdue Los Angeles retrospective

New Tiger book by former curator released by The Tank Museum

Call for applications: Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA) seeks artistic director and executive director

Klaipėda Culture Communication Center presents Noise Portals

ifa - Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen presents Bocas de agua, an OtherNetwork exhibition

Success Academy's new Bronx K-12 campus combines innovative architecture with a bold mission

Stedelijk Museum presents Adam Pendleton's Dutch museum debut

Over 100 rare lots of British Arts & Crafts silver lead dedicated October 20 auction at Rago Wright




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 




Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)


Editor: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez


Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
       
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful