▁On ▁February ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Eric ▁Sp out z ▁was ▁arrested ▁at ▁his ▁pent house ▁in ▁Hollywood , ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁California ▁based ▁upon ▁a ▁ 2 6 ▁page ▁criminal ▁compla int ▁issued ▁by ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁United ▁States ▁Att orney ▁for ▁the ▁Southern ▁District ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁P reet ▁B har ara . ▁On ▁June ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Sp out z ▁p led ▁guilty ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁US ▁v . ▁Sp out z ▁to ▁one ▁count ▁of ▁wire ▁fra ud ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁f als ely ▁attributed ▁art work ▁accompanied ▁by ▁for ged ▁proven ance ▁documents . ▁The ▁government ▁charged ▁Sp out z ▁with ▁market ing ▁and ▁s elling ▁the ▁fra ud ul ent ▁art work ▁through ▁online ▁au ction ▁sites ▁and ▁au ction ▁houses . ▁The ▁criminal ▁case ▁did ▁not ▁relate ▁to ▁Sp out z ' s ▁legit imate ▁art ▁gall eries ▁that ▁he ▁owned , ▁the ▁art work ▁that ▁he ▁put ▁into ▁museum ▁collections ▁or ▁the ▁art work ▁by ▁his ▁uncle , ▁Ian ▁Horn ak . ▁Do z ens ▁of ▁character ▁letters ▁from ▁Sp out z ' s ▁friends , ▁family , ▁colle agues ▁and ▁clients ▁written ▁on ▁his ▁beh alf ▁begg ing ▁for ▁len iency ▁were ▁presented ▁to ▁the ▁court ▁including ▁letters ▁from ▁former ▁New ▁York ▁Yan ke es , ▁Texas ▁R angers ▁and ▁Cleveland ▁Indians ▁baseball ▁player , ▁John ▁Ell is , ▁American ▁lyr ical ▁abstra ction ▁co - found er ▁Ron nie ▁Land