Beltracchi and Forgers Sentenced in Cologne

The forgery trial in Cologne ended yesterday with the sentencing of Wolfgang Beltracchi and his co-defendants for their now-infamous forgeries and sale of the fictional “Werner Jäger” collection-the name of his wife’s grandfather. Beltracchi was sentenced to 6 years, consistent with the deal struck last month with prosecutors, the other defendants (including his wife) to various lesser terms.

Notwithstanding the closure this supposedly brings, reports are that more than 100 forgeries may still be out there, and there seems little chance of a focused investigation into that now.