Manhattan art dealer sold fakes on Internet

A Manhattan art dealer pleaded guilty Monday to selling forged artworks over the Internet.

Richard Vitrano, 56, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, admitting he duped victims from September 2002 through April 2005 by selling them fake paintings, drawings and other artworks.

Vitrano falsely attributed paintings listed on the Internet to known artists such as Raoul Dufy, Philip Guston, Diego Rivera and A.H. Wyant, prosecutors said.

Vitrano faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 when he is sentenced Feb. 17, AP reports.

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