Simcoe County man at centre of one of Canada’s largest art fraud investigations
A Simcoe County man is at the centre of one of the country's largest art fraud investigations.
James White, better known in the art world as Jim, has been charged alongside seven others in relation to the forgery and sale of fake artwork attributed to the renowned Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau.
On Friday, OPP and Thunder Bay Police announced the charges following its two-year investigation into the case.
Police referred to White as a major distributor of forgeries for the Cowan Group, founded by Jeffrey Cowan of Niagara-on-the-Lake, who has also been charged in relation to the case.
"Their operation was very prolific," said Mark Jacobson, an artist and executive producer for the 2019 documentary 'There are No Fakes.' "They're probably responsible for tens of thousands of fraudulent prints."
Jacobson spent nearly two decades investigating fake Morrisseau paintings before his work on the documentary.
"I was very pleased to see some form of justice," Jacobson added.
For the Morrisseau Estate, the work of fixing the damage has only just begun.
"Not just for Morrisseau's name, but for other emerging artists," said Cory Dingle, who runs the estate. "If I can go buy a half-a-million-dollar painting for $5,000 on eBay, why would I bother paying anyone else?"
Dingle said the estate is also working on clearing the Morrisseau name from false information, which has been as challenging as finding fakes.
He also hopes the investigation will encourage the federal government to create a Canadian governing body for artwork, both from a civilian level and policing one.
"For example, in the United States, the FBI does indeed have its own Art Crime Team," he said. "When you speak with collectors around the world, you constantly hear, 'we do not want to invest in Canadian art; we have issues with your structure, trust and accountability."
In total, eight people face 40 charges.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.