Damien Hirst is an English artist who was part of a 1990's surge in British artistry, winning the 1995 Turner Prize - a highly-acclaimed award in the British art world. His prints are well known in the art world and carry incredible value.

When some of Hirst's prints became available to a 44-year-old New York man, the part-time part dealer jumped at the chance and paid upwards of $40,000 for three paintings online. However, the 44-year-old was sent fake prints, though he says he did not know it at the time. A California scammer sent him the prints and was later arrested for fraud.

According to the 44-year-old, because he was unaware of their fraudulent nature, he ended up selling them to people in Canada and the United Kingdom, not thinking anything of it. The buyers requested appraisals on the art, which the 44-year-old fulfilled. But in order to move the process along, those appraisals were falsified to "speed up the process and get things shipped out," according to his attorney.

The 44-year-old has been charged with false-filling and misdemeanor forgery, though he has admitted to the fraudulent appraisals. It seems the man was just trying to expedite the process of shipping paintings across international boundaries. He seemingly had no intent to cause financial harm to his buyers, and since he unknowingly was dealing these fake pieces of art, he inadvertently committed fraud.

These types of uncertain situations can get hard-working, everyday people in trouble and a story like this highlights why it is important to attain a reliable criminal defense attorney. A proper legal representative will stand up for your rights to due process, defend your criminal case and support you throughout the litigation process.

Source: FOX News, "Duped in art fraud, MYC man then forged appraisals," AP, Jan. 13, 2012