California man sentenced in $6M modern art fraud scheme

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California man who authorities say tried to sell $6 million worth of phony paintings he claimed were created by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and other modern masters was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison.

Philip Righter, 43, of West Hollywood was sentenced in a federal court in Miami after pleading guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and tax fraud, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Righter was given 60 months in prison in a case that was filed in Los Angeles. The judge also handed down a five-year sentence in a Florida case in which Righter acknowledged trying to sell forgeries to the owner of a Miami art gallery.

Both sentences will be served at the same time.

In a plea agreement, Righter acknowledged trying to sell counterfeit art that he claimed was genuine and using some fakes for income tax write-offs or as collateral for loans he never repaid.

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