Calif art dealer agrees to plea deal in phony Picasso case, could shave 23 years off sentence

CA dealer reaches plea deal in phony Picasso case

LOS ANGELES — A West Hollywood art and antiques dealer who allegedly sold a fake Picasso for $2 million has agreed to plead guilty to federal fraud charges.

In a plea agreement filed Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court, 70-year-old Tatiana Khan agreed to plead guilty to making false statements to the FBI and witness tampering. Khan is expected to enter her pleas next month.

Prosecutors say Khan admitted she paid an artist $1,000 to duplicate a 1902 Picasso called “The Woman in the Blue Hat,” then sold it as an original for $2 million.

The plea deal calls for her to spend no more than 21 months in prison. Without it, she could be looking at 25 years in prison.