John Re

According to the FBI, Re claimed he had uncovered a hidden cache of Pollock paintings while cleaning out the East Hampton home of a deceased woodworker and antique restorer. The discovery, he suggested, had somehow remained unknown to scholars, museums, and Pollock experts for decades. If true, it would have been one of the greatest finds in modern art history. Instead, prosecutors say it became one of the largest online art fraud schemes involving Jackson Pollock. Between 2005 and 2013, Re allegedly sold more than 60 fake Pollocks through eBay and private negotiations, collecting nearly $1.9 million from hopeful buyers. To make the paintings appear more desirable, investigators say he even used shill bidders to drive up auction prices. The scheme began to unravel when collectors did what every buyer of a "lost masterpiece" eventually should—ask an expert. One painting contained materials that didn't even exist during Pollock's lifetime. The International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) later examined 45 of the paintings and concluded they were all counterfeit. Their report noted that the works were actually too similar to one another. Ironically, the consistency that made them look convincing was exactly what gave them away. Pollock's authentic drip paintings are famously unpredictable; the fakes looked like they had all come from the same hand (and specifically not Pollack's). Another collector received an even simpler authenticity test. While examining one painting, a dealer tried to wipe away a small smudge of dirt with a damp finger. The paint came off. Despite mounting evidence, prosecutors say Re continued insisting the works were genuine, describing one in an email as "a very strong Pollock" complete with age cracks and decades of basement storage. In another message, he proclaimed he had discovered "the greatest contemporary art find in history." The FBI disagreed. Federal investigators ultimately charged Re with wire fraud, alleging the basement treasure was little more than a carefully crafted fiction supported by fake provenance, persuasive salesmanship, and the enduring hope that the next unbelievable discovery might just be real. In the art world, extraordinary discoveries do happen. The trick is remembering that extraordinary stories usually require extraordinary proof. Perhaps the strangest footnote is what Re bought with some of the money. According to the Department of Justice, one fraudulent Pollock sale helped finance the purchase of a submarine called the U.S.S. Deep Quest. As part of the criminal proceedings, federal authorities obtained a restraining order preventing him from selling the submarine while forfeiture issues were resolved. It's not often an art fraud case ends with the government seizing a submarine.