A pastor in Florida who did some art dealing on the side was convicted in New York of attempting to off-load five counterfeit works by British artist Damien Hirst.

Kevin Sutherland, 46, was caught attempting to sell the Hirst fakes to an undercover police officer in 2013. A jury at State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Tuesday found him guilty of second degree attempted grand larceny.

Sutherland leads the non-denominational, 200-member Mosaic Miami Church.

An investigation into a Hirst forger named Vincent Lopreto in Manhattan Beach, Calif., was being looked into by the Manhattan District Attorney when Sutherland's Hirsts were rejected by Sotheby's.

The auction house told Sutherland that the artist's Science Ltd., which authenticates his work, had issues with the art and urged him to contact them in London. Hirst's assistants also had informed the district attorney's office.

Meanwhile, an undercover detective posing as a New York art dealer struck a deal with Sutherland to buy the artworks for $185,000. Sutherland told him that there were no issues with authenticity, according to recorded phone calls. The jury decided that Sutherland knew one of the works was questionable at that point.

The forger, Lopreto, has already served time for art fraud in California, and got a lighter sentence in January for his testimony against Sutherland.

Sutherland's lawyers say they will appeal. Their client will be sentenced in May and faces seven years in prison.

Hirst has created a number of minimalist dot-paintings and abstract "spin" paintings, and many were done by his assistants. Lopreto sold his Hirst fakes on eBay.