Alberto Fis, Alfonso de Angoitia Noriega, & An Inigo Philbrick–Style Art Fraud

In October 2022, at the very moment that Yoshino, one of downtown New York’s hottest sushi spots, was being awarded its first Michelin star, the restaurant’s founder, Alberto Fis, was allegedly in the middle of orchestrating a complex web of fraud.

Across the ocean, the doors of the Grand Palais Éphémère were opening for Paris+ par Art Basel, where dealers and collectors from around the world flock to buy the latest in contemporary and modern art. Amid the flurry of activity, a prominent Parisian gallerist, François Ghebaly, was busy setting up shop at the fair. He was exhibiting work by several artists, among them a $135,000 painting by Sayre Gomez, an up-and-coming multi-media artist from California.