Basquiat Forger Arrested By FBI
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, February 28, 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

February 28, 2026

Beyond the canvas: How the 1950s galleries shaped the meaning of Antoni Tàpies

Seeing red: Ordovas explores art's most symbolic hue from Miró to Moyer

Christie's Post-War to Present totals $32,023,889

Christie's Asian Art Week bridges centuries of tradition

After Attention: Marina Abramović and Márta Kucsora meet at Helvetika 1575

MOCA acquires Kara Walker's Unmanned Drone, announces 158 acquisitions in 2025

Northern Star: Exploring the brilliance, ambition, and timeless impact of a true innovator

Surface Tension: William Turner Gallery celebrates the sensory depth of LA art

Heritage celebrates Pokémon 30th anniversary with opportunity to catch PSA Mint 9 Pikachu Illustrator

The Benaki Museum unveils landmark Alexis Akrithakis retrospective

Deichtorhallen Hamburg publishes catalogue for Into the Unseen: The Walther Collection

National Postal Museum launches new short-form video series

Black gold, deep time: Alexandra Karakashian's oil-based inquiry at Sabrina Amrani

Raised by Mountains: Silverlens exhibits works by John Frank Sabado & Leonardo Aguinaldo

Bruno Zhu. Belas Artes opens at Centro de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian's Project Space

Bradley Kerl explores memory and movement at Ivester Contemporary

Matt Mullican dismantles the encyclopedia at Peter Freeman, Inc.

Édouard Glissant's personal art collection makes US debut

The Middle of the Flower: Jess Cochrane reclaims her roots at Sullivan+Strumpf

Xu Tiantian unveiled as 2026 MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission recipient

Galleri Nicolai Wallner now representing Man Yau

Timor-Leste Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale presents Across Words

Museum Folkwang unveils a century of photobooks for children




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.org facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
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