A 69-year-old West Hollywood antiques dealer has been charged with selling a fake Picasso for $2 million. Tatiana Khan, the accused, could face 45 years in prison, if convicted.
On Friday, federal prosecutors said that Khan was charged with wire fraud and other crimes, contending that she paid an artist a mere $1,000 in 2006 to duplicate Pablo Picasso’s pastel “The Woman in the Blue Hat” which she later sold for $2 million.
Last year the FBI was brought in after the buyer had the work examined by professionals and found out that it was in fact a fake. Yesterday FBI agents seized a genuine Willem de Kooning painting from Khan which authorities claim she purchased for $720,000 using some of the proceeds from the fraudulent Picasso sale.
According to The Huffington Post, calls made to Khan’s lawyers were not returned.
