A fraudster who attempted to sell counterfeit ancient statues to Sotheby's was exposed when the accompanying forged documents were found to have been produced using printing methods that were 25 years too modern, a court has heard.
The Attempted Fraud
Andrew Crowley, 46, of Longwell Green, Gloucestershire, asked the auction house to value three Cycladic figures and one Anatolian stargazer statuette that he claimed to have inherited from his grandfather. The case was heard at Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday.
Prosecutors alleged that, if genuine, the items would have been worth approximately £680,000 based on previous sales. However, Judge Rimmer noted that this estimate relied on multiple hypotheticals and reduced the value to £340,000.
Forged Documents
Crowley provided spurious invoices for the statues that were purported to have been written in 1976, using a typewriter on paper embossed with an antiques dealer's logo and a nine-pence stamp. However, forensic scientists discovered that the documents were created using printing methods invented in 2001. Additionally, Sotheby's experts identified spelling mistakes, including errors in the supplier's title.
Court Outcome
Handing Crowley a two-year suspended sentence, the judge remarked: "It was a crude attempt because Sotheby's rumbled, to use the vernacular, or spotted, these documents as bogus fairly early on." The judge accepted that Crowley had inherited the statues from his grandfather and did not believe them to be counterfeits at any point.
The Cycladic statues were each about 30 cm (12 in) tall and weighed approximately 1 kg. Authentic Cycladic artifacts were created in the Cyclades islands of Greece during the Bronze Age, around 3,000 years ago. Therefore, as the judge stated, "the offending and dishonesty in this case must turn around the paperwork."
Sentence and Costs
Crowley had previously admitted to dishonestly making a false representation to Sotheby's auction house with the intent to gain between 4 November 2022 and 27 July 2023. In addition to the suspended sentence, he was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,630 in costs over three months.
Authorities' Response
Detective Constable Ray Swan, who led the Metropolitan Police's investigation, stated: "This case also highlights the crucial role played by industry experts in helping to protect the integrity of the London art market. Sotheby's staff acted responsibly and swiftly in raising their concerns, and their cooperation was instrumental in preventing a significant fraud."
A spokesperson for Sotheby's praised the force's "meticulous and superbly executed investigation that has helped prevent fraudulent material entering the market."
