California man who sold $1M of forged art gets 3-year term

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Southern California man who sold $1.1 million in forged art has been sentenced to three years in federal prison. Prosecutors say Jason Harrington of Escondido was sentenced Friday in San Diego after pleading guilty to wire fraud earlier this year. Authorities say Harrington sold forgeries of paintings he claimed were the work of noted conceptual and street artist Richard Hambleton. Authorities say prospective buyers were shown phony letters of authenticity to back up the fake art. Hambleton is a Canadian who settled in New York City and died in 2017. Some of his works have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.