New York City man admits forging art appraisal documents claiming to be by Damien Hirst

NEW YORK (AP).- A New York City man who unwittingly sold fake art prints he believed were by British artist Damien Hirst has pleaded guilty to forging appraisal documents.

Richard Silver bought the prints from an Irvine, Calif., man online in 2006 for about $40,000. He resold them for $84,000.

A defense lawyer said Friday that Silver didn’t know the prints were fake until after he’d sold them.

The lawyer says Silver had some works appraised to get shipping insurance and altered the appraisal documents to match the rest of the prints so he could ship quickly. He says Silver didn’t mean to defraud anybody.

Silver pleaded guilty Thursday to misdemeanor forgery and false-filing charges. He also admitted not reporting profits on his state taxes. He’s expected to be sentenced next week to 60 days in jail and ordered to pay restitution.

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