A man in Connecticut who sold 145 fraudulent paintings by Peter Max, the master of psychedelic Pop art, has been sentenced to serve 14 months in prison for selling counterfeit art. Nicholas P. Hatch, who was arrested in May 2023 and subsequently pleaded guilty to mail fraud, was sentenced in US District Court in Connecticut on Wednesday (17 April). He was also ordered to restitute the $248,600 he made selling the fraudulent paintings to 43 buyers.
According to the criminal complaint filed last year at the time of his arrest, Hatch carried out the fraud via his company Hatch Estate Services, through which he sold prints by Max to which he had added brushstrokes and signatures in order to market them as unique paintings. The FBI’s New Haven unit began investigating Hatch in December 2021 after one of his employees sent a tip about his activities. According to the FBI’s investigation, Hatch operated under several aliases—including Alex Cassellucci, Jeremy Ruiz and Liam—as well as a range of different business names including Hatch Estate Services, Lions Gate Auctions and Indian Head Auctions.
Hatch often sold the purported authentic Max paintings for prices between $1,325 and $2,833. In some cases he also provided his victims with fake certificates of authenticity for the fraudulent works. While authentic prints and works on paper by Max often sell for prices in the three- and low four-figure dollar range, his authentic paintings can often fetch prices in the range of $10,000 to $20,000.
Hatch will begin his prison term on 17 June. In addition to a 14-month prison term, his sentence includes three years of supervised release.
Max’s life and work have been embroiled in a completely unrelated legal feud for years now, with the elderly artist’s daughter and his caretaker filing competing lawsuits over control of his care and legacy. Max, who is now 86 years old, has been suffering from Alzheimer’s-induced dementia for several years.