Brian Ramnarine, 11 Million Dollar Art Forgery Scheme, New York 2012

In a brazen case of art forgery, Brian Ramnarine, the owner of a Queens, New York, foundry, pleaded guilty to charges arising from his attempt to sell a bronze sculpture that he falsely represented to be a genuine work of art by Jasper Johns, as well as his sales of bronze sculptures that he falsely represented to be the work of two other artists, Robert Indiana and Saint Clair Cemin.

Ramnarine, 63, was arrested in November 2012 on charges arising from his attempt to sell the fake sculpture, which he claimed was worth approximately $11 million. The sculpture, titled "Flag," was created in 1960 by Johns and was originally given to fellow artist and friend Robert Rauschenberg.

According to the indictment, Ramnarine used the original Flag Mold provided by Johns to make the fake sculpture, dated it "1989," and forged Johns’s signature on the back of the sculpture.

The investigation revealed that Ramnarine engaged in two new schemes to defraud an online art gallery located in Queens while he was on bail. In particular, he sold to the gallery two fake sculptures, titled "Two" and "Orb," that he falsely claimed had been made and authorized by Robert Indiana and Saint Clair Cemin.

Ramnarine’s guilty plea marks the culmination of a long investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The case is a stark reminder of the dangers of art forgery and the importance of verifying the authenticity of artworks before purchasing them.

Brian Ramnarine, a serial fraudster, now stands convicted and will face the consequences of his actions. His admission of guilt will bring closure to the victims of his schemes and serve as a warning to others who would engage in similar crimes.

The exact sentence for Ramnarine has not been determined yet, but he is expected to face significant time in prison for his crimes. The total amount of damages from his schemes is approximately $11 million.

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