Coconut Grove Fine Art Dealer Indicted in Federal Case, Charged with Wire Fraud Conspiracy and Money Laundering Related to Forged Andy Warhol Works

MIAMI – Leslie Roberts, 62, of Miami, was charged in a federal court for participating in a conspiracy to sell forged art using fake and fraudulent invoices and authentications. Carlos Miguel Rodriguez Melendez, 37, of Sunny Isles, was also charged for his participation in the wire fraud conspiracy.

According to allegations in the indictment, Roberts sold art from Miami Fine Art Gallery located in Coconut Grove. Roberts fraudulently represented the art as original pieces created by renowned artist Andy Warhol.  Further, Roberts falsely claimed to victims that he acquired the artwork directly from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and provided fake and fraudulent invoices to the victim.  Rodriguez Melendez falsely represented that he was an employee of a New York-based auction company in order to fraudulently authenticate the artwork in to conceal that the artwork was fake.

The Indictment also alleges that Roberts engaged in money laundering, transferring wire fraud proceeds from his Miami Fine Art Gallery bank account to a personal bank account. According to the Indictment, Roberts made transactions in the amounts of $150,000, $40,000 and $50,000.

On April 9, 2025, Roberts and Melendez were arrested by law enforcement and made an initial appearance in federal court (Case No. 25-cr-20142).  Roberts and Melendez were subsequently released on bond. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for April 21.

If convicted of the wire fraud conspiracy, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison.  If convicted of money laundering, Roberts faces up to 10 years in federal prison.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI Art Crime Team and FBI West Palm Beach investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Lazopoulos Friedman and Joshua Paster are prosecuting it.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture. 

An indictment is merely an allegation, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20142.

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