Daniel Elie Bouaziz Wiki
Daniel Elie Bouaziz Biography
Who is Daniel Elie Bouaziz ?
A French owner of two galleries on Palm Beach’s exclusive Worth Avenue has been accused of selling fake paintings by some of the world’s most renowned artists to unsuspecting buyers.
Daniel Elie Bouaziz, owner of Danieli Fine Art Gallery and Galerie Daniel, is accused of selling fake paintings by Banksy, Jean-Michael Basquiat and Ray Lichtenstein for hundreds of thousands of dollars, despite buying the replicas for only hundreds.
Each painting included forged signatures and documents that falsely stated the pieces’ ownership history and documented their authenticity, federal prosecutors say, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
He then allegedly used the proceeds to buy luxury items, including a Lamborghini, a Rolex watch and Cartier jewelry.
Arrested and Charged
Bouaziz, 68, now faces charges of mail and wire fraud, money laundering and money laundering.
He faces up to 20 years in prison, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, but has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the New York Post.
Bouaziz is due back in court on June 15. He is now free on bail, after paying $500,000 on Friday during his initial court appearance
Victims
Federal prosecutors say Bouaziz, a French citizen of Algerian descent, swindled a total of six victims who paid thousands of dollars for common reproductions of famous paintings.
In one case, prosecutors say, Bouaziz bought an Andy Warhol facsimile for $100 and sold it for $85,000.
Another unsuspecting buyer signed for a whopping $120,000 for two pieces that Bouaziz bought for just $600, according to a federal indictment.
To support the scam, federal prosecutors say, Bouaziz allegedly presented himself as an unblemished art appraiser and provided his clients with certificates of authenticity.
But federal agents became aware of his alleged scheme in 2021 after several backers alerted them that the works by Lichtenstein and others would be worth millions of dollars, not the several thousand he charged them.
FBI agents then went undercover and agreed to buy a fake Warhol from Bouaziz for $26,000 and set up an additional deal worth $22 million before his arrest last week.
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They also recorded conversations with Bouaziz at his Palm Beach galleries, including one in which he allegedly told agents, “I really gave you a fantastic price” on a signed print of Warhol Superman. ‘Only money can be made.’
In another conversation, the Associated Press reports, Bouaziz said: ‘I buy about 200 paintings at auction every year and I guarantee my stuff.
‘I’m not buying things that everyone else has. That’s why you don’t see them in the other galleries,’ he allegedly told the undercover agents.
He then allegedly offered undercover agents a Basquiat which he purchased for 495 euros at a asking price of $12 million.
Federal prosecutors say Bouaziz used the money to buy a Lamborghini, a Rolex watch and Cartier jewelry.
His galleries were eventually raided in December, when Mario, a Palm Beach resident, told WPBF he saw FBI agents leaving the store with boxes.
They then covered the windows of the store, according to Local 10 News, and surrounded it with yellow crime scene tape.
The FBI says there may be other victims and anyone with information is asked to call the FBI’s Artistic Crimes Team at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
But Bouaziz’s attorney, Howard Schumacher, told the New York Post that his client is an honest trafficker in the Palm Beach area and that prices are inherently subjective.
He added that Bouaziz has already returned money to dissatisfied customers, saying: “He has a large following on the island in an area that is very eclectic.”
Schumacher also said that Bouaziz plans to plead not guilty at his next court appearance on June 15.
“This government intrusion has had an impact on his reputation and he wants to clear that up,” Schumacher said.
Daniel Elie Bouaziz Quick and Facts
- Daniel Elie Bouaziz, 68, is charged with mail and wire fraud, laundering of monetary instruments and monetary laundering
- Federal prosecutors claim he sold fake Banksy, Jean-Michael Basquiat and Ray Lichtenstein paintings for hundreds of thousands of dollars
- Each painting included forged signatures and documents falsely stating the pieces’ ownership histories and documenting its authenticity
- He then allegedly used the profits to buy luxury items including a Lamborghini, a Rolex watch and Cartier jewelry
- Federal agents first caught on to his alleged scheme in 2021 and went undercover to purchase a fake Andy Warhol painting from him
- Bouaziz plans to plead not guilty to the charges in court on June 15
Source: https://wikisoon.com/
