Tatiana Khan, the 69-year-old owner of Chateau Allegre gallery on La Cienega Boulevard, has been accused of allegedly hiring an artist to draw a copy of a 1902 pastel drawing by Picasso called "The Woman in the Blue Hat."

Kahn then advertised that the copy was the original Picasso from the estate of Malcom Forbes and sold the painting to an art prospector for $2 million. The FBI began investigating last year after the buyer learned that the painting was a fake. Khan told the artist of the copy not to disclose any information about the fake Picasso.

Kahn was charged this week in the United States District Court with several Federal crimes including; wire fraud, making false statements to the FBI and witness tampering. While serving the summons, the FBI also seized a painting by Willem de Kooining, which they believe was purchased by Kahn with $720,000 of the proceeds from the sale of the fake Picasso. If she is convicted of all charges, she faces up to 45 years in Federal prison.

If you or someone you know has been charged with a Federal Crime such as wire fraud, false statements to authorities or witness tampering, contact Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer Robert M. Bernstein as soon as possible. As a former prosecutor, Attorney Bernstein knows both sides of the courtroom and uses this knowledge to create winning defense strategies. Call for a free consultation today.