A Main Line art dealer whose gallery was raided by federal authorities this summer is accused in a new lawsuit of participating in an international and far-reaching “pipeline” to sell fraudulent artwork.
Nathan “Nicky” Isen is among half a dozen people who are being sued by a Florida family who says they were scammed into buying fake Andy Warhol paintings and prints by a network of “suppliers, fake authenticators and distributors.” According to the lawsuit, filed last week in Miami, the enterprise stretched from Isen’s gallery, Dane Fine Art in Haverford, to Florida and Peru.
The lawsuit filed by Richard and Judy Perlman alleges that Isen had developed a “toxic” reputation among collectors and appraisers after he pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2015. He rebranded from his then-gallery, I. Brewster & Co., to Dane Fine Art. (A website for I. Brewster & Co. now redirects users to Dane Fine Art.)
But, despite the rebrand, the lawsuit says Isen’s “modus operandi remained unchanged”: He was “selling pages torn from art books as authentic prints.”
Isen’s lawyer, Patrick Egan, said in a statement Sunday that “the claims in this lawsuit are just that, claims.”
“My client categorically denies any wrongdoing and any connection with any alleged conspiracy,” the statement said. “We look forward to the opportunity to challenge these claims in court.
» READ MORE: The FBI searched a Haverford Township art gallery
According to the 42-page lawsuit, Isen “formed a conspiracy” with Leslie Roberts, an art dealer in an affluent Miami neighborhood.
“This conspiracy provided what each needed: Isen got a gallery front in Florida with no connection to his toxic name, while Roberts got forged inventory,” the lawsuit filed by the Perlman family says.
The Perlmans also sued Roberts in 2024; that case settled in January for an undisclosed amount, according to the Wall Street Journal. Roberts also pleaded guilty to art-related wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced later this month, the news outlet reported.
Between 2023 and 2024, Isen’s gallery repeatedly invoiced Roberts’ gallery for, what the lawsuit called, “forged” Warhol works, which the Perlmans then purchased. Roberts told the Wall Street Journal he believed the Warhols were genuine at the time.
In July, the FBI conducted “court-authorized law enforcement activity” at Dane Fine Art, in the 2300 block of Haverford Road.
It’s unclear why the FBI searched the business; Isen’s lawyer did not respond to questions about the FBI raid and declined to comment on the matter to the Wall Street Journal.