Honoring fallen soldiers at Memorial Day events across Southwest FloridaLehigh Acres neighbor accuses construction company of mistakenly tearing up lot
WINK NEWS Honoring fallen soldiers at Memorial Day events across Southwest Florida Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who have died in the military, honors those who have served in the armed forces.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres neighbor accuses construction company of mistakenly tearing up lot Along 27th Street West in Lehigh Acres, neighbors knew it was only a matter of time before the lots next to them were developed.
FORT MYERS ECS softball celebrates first state championship Evangelical Christian School honors state champion softball team with parade on campus.
SANIBEL Sanibel hosts annual hurricane seminar to prepare for upcoming season With a very active Atlantic hurricane season ahead, they’re not taking anything for granted.
Teen’s killer out of jail after 8 months A teenager charged with manslaughter after accidentally shooting and killing his girlfriend is now out of jail after serving less than a year.
Miles apart: local mother hopes to reunite brothers from Haiti to the U.S. The process of adopting a child is different for everyone, but Michelle Reed’s passion has always been to adopt children into her family.Â
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Downtown Fort Myers Richards Building goes in foreclosure An update on the historic Richards Building in downtown Fort Myers: it’s going into foreclosure.
PORT CHARLOTTE How is Sunseeker Resort impacting Port Charlotte? What is a resort that saw five years of delays, pushback and more doing to the community that it sits in?
FORT MYERS Construction takes over bus stops on Ortiz Avenue Construction workers, bull dozers and cars zipping by are what is found on Ortiz Avenue. Bus stops in construction can also be found.
Near crash reveals more about dangers of State Road 31 On Friday, we learned about how often deputies in Charlotte County catch people going way faster than they should.
Wireless pacemaker transforms heart care Traditional versions are bulky and need two long wire leads connected to an implanted battery.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Businesses beaten down by lack of downtown Fort Myers foot traffic Traffic is getting worse on Southwest Florida roads, and downtown Fort Myers, one of the most popular areas in the region, is having some issues with foot traffic.
CAPE CORAL Businesses evacuated due to propane leak in Cape Coral Police have shut down a busy road in Cape Coral due to a propane leak in the Nicholas Retail Center parking lot.
CAPE CORAL 28-year-old Cape Coral man accused of raping 15-year-old girl The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man for the alleged rape of a 15-year-old.
fort myers beach Possible red tide appearing in SWFL may impact beachgoers Red tide, a harmful algae bloom that can infect people, animals, and ecosystems, has already begun to appear in Southwest Florida.
WINK NEWS Honoring fallen soldiers at Memorial Day events across Southwest Florida Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who have died in the military, honors those who have served in the armed forces.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres neighbor accuses construction company of mistakenly tearing up lot Along 27th Street West in Lehigh Acres, neighbors knew it was only a matter of time before the lots next to them were developed.
FORT MYERS ECS softball celebrates first state championship Evangelical Christian School honors state champion softball team with parade on campus.
SANIBEL Sanibel hosts annual hurricane seminar to prepare for upcoming season With a very active Atlantic hurricane season ahead, they’re not taking anything for granted.
Teen’s killer out of jail after 8 months A teenager charged with manslaughter after accidentally shooting and killing his girlfriend is now out of jail after serving less than a year.
Miles apart: local mother hopes to reunite brothers from Haiti to the U.S. The process of adopting a child is different for everyone, but Michelle Reed’s passion has always been to adopt children into her family.Â
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Downtown Fort Myers Richards Building goes in foreclosure An update on the historic Richards Building in downtown Fort Myers: it’s going into foreclosure.
PORT CHARLOTTE How is Sunseeker Resort impacting Port Charlotte? What is a resort that saw five years of delays, pushback and more doing to the community that it sits in?
FORT MYERS Construction takes over bus stops on Ortiz Avenue Construction workers, bull dozers and cars zipping by are what is found on Ortiz Avenue. Bus stops in construction can also be found.
Near crash reveals more about dangers of State Road 31 On Friday, we learned about how often deputies in Charlotte County catch people going way faster than they should.
Wireless pacemaker transforms heart care Traditional versions are bulky and need two long wire leads connected to an implanted battery.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Businesses beaten down by lack of downtown Fort Myers foot traffic Traffic is getting worse on Southwest Florida roads, and downtown Fort Myers, one of the most popular areas in the region, is having some issues with foot traffic.
CAPE CORAL Businesses evacuated due to propane leak in Cape Coral Police have shut down a busy road in Cape Coral due to a propane leak in the Nicholas Retail Center parking lot.
CAPE CORAL 28-year-old Cape Coral man accused of raping 15-year-old girl The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man for the alleged rape of a 15-year-old.
fort myers beach Possible red tide appearing in SWFL may impact beachgoers Red tide, a harmful algae bloom that can infect people, animals, and ecosystems, has already begun to appear in Southwest Florida.
Photo by Andrew Neel A Florida gallery owner has been arrested on federal charges for peddling fake art pieces, claiming the cheap reproductions were in fact originals by Andy Warhol, Banksy, Roy Lichtenstein, Jean-Michel Basquiat and others, federal prosecutors said. A complaint filed in South Florida federal court Thursday accuses Palm Beach art dealer Daniel Elie Bouaziz of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in his alleged scheme to sell forged copies of high-end art. Bouaziz, a French citizen of Algerian descent, was ordered released on $500,000 bail after an initial hearing Friday. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges, according to court records. He could face many years in prison if convicted. Bouaziz sold some of the forged art pieces for hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece, prosecutors said in a news release. An FBI criminal affidavit said undercover agents put $22 million down for several of the fake art pieces. Claiming to be an art expert and an official appraiser, Bouaziz appraised the inauthentic artwork he sold to the victims at an increased rate, the FBI affidavit said. To give one example, the FBI says Bouaziz bought a Warhol reproduction print for $100 and sold it for $85,000. He operated two art galleries on Palm Beach’s famed Worth Avenue, one of the wealthiest places in the U.S. “The FBI did not observe a single transaction in those accounts in which Bouaziz or his galleries purchased high-value artwork,” the affidavit says. “Bouaziz purchased low-cost reproductions from online auction sites that he then resold to unsuspecting victims, as originals, at drastically increased prices.” And even those were low. For example, an original Andy Warhol painting would likely sell for millions of dollars. Bouaziz, according to the FBI, sold one of Warhol’s works called “Superman,” of which there were several versions, for just $25,000. “I buy about 200 paintings in auction every year and I guarantee my stuff. I mean I am behind my stuff,” Bouaziz said in a conversation recorded by the FBI. “I’m not buying things that everybody has. That’s why you don’t see them in the other galleries.” The affidavit does not say how many people were victimized. Bouaziz will have a plea hearing on June 15. No trial date has been scheduled. Bouaziz’s temporary attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.