SAN DIEGO—An Escondido man who pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge for selling $1.1 million of forged artworks—which he claimed were created by acclaimed artist Richard Hambleton—was sentenced Dec. 10 to three years in prison. Jason Harrington, 38, admitted to selling forgeries to at least 15 galleries and individuals between 2018 and 2020, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors allege Harrington gave prospective buyers letters from people who said they obtained the artworks, in which they claimed to have received the pieces from Hambleton himself. On one occasion, Harrington had a person speak directly with a buyer and make similar claims about obtaining art from Hambleton. Harrington also photoshopped pictures to make it seem like the people who obtained the artworks personally knew or met with Hambleton, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Hambleton, who died in 2017, was known in part for his “Shadowman” paintings, and many of Harrington’s forgeries were copies of Hambleton’s Shadowman pieces. The U.S. Attorney’s …