Shepard Fairey, the Los Angeles artist who created the "Hope" poster for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, pleaded guilty in a New York federal court Friday to destroying and fabricating documents during a legal battle with the Associated Press, according to media reports.

Fairey sued the news service in 2009 after it claimed that the famous poster was based on one of its photos. Fairey claimed that he used a different photograph for the poster.

But he admitted that, in fact, he was wrong and tried to hide the error by destroying documents and manufacturing others, which is the source of the one count of criminal contempt to which he pleaded guilty, The Wrap reported.

Fairey could face six months in prison, a year of supervised release and a $5,000 fine. He will be sentenced in July.

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-- From a Times staff writer

Photo: Shepard Fairey, center, leaves federal court with his lawyers Abigail Rosen, left, and Dan Gitner, after he entered a guilty plea on a misdemeanor charge on Friday. Credit: Bebeto Matthews / Associated Press