Mr. Lupel denies the gallery was selling fakes.

Mr. Maadi says he does not sell fakes either.

In the mix of competition, Hong Kong has a reputation for selling counterfeits and fakes.

Some sell fakes of our diplomatic passports.

It is unclear whether Jenkins knew he was selling fakes, though David, for one, believes he did know.

"You used to see at least 15 stores selling fakes on this block alone," said one Macdougal Street store owner.

They said it must be legal since so many people sell fakes.

Edwards said that Sowell excels at the nuances of his position - helping to sell play-action fakes, using sound blocking techniques, running precise pass routes.

One New York prosecutor described the network as a "self-protecting circle," in which each link can deny knowingly selling fakes to another.

The suit accuses the gallery of continuing to sell fakes after being explicitly told that the paintings were counterfeit.