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
NDP wants Liberals to scrap proposed election date change that could secure pensions for many MPs
The federal New Democrats want to amend the Liberal government's electoral reform legislation to scrap the proposal to push back the vote by a week and consequently secure pensions for dozens of MPs, CTV News has learned.
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
Doug Ford suggests immigrants behind Jewish school shooting
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested immigrants are to blame for the shooting of an empty Jewish school in Toronto over the weekend, despite police saying they have little information on the suspects.
Supreme Court won't hear appeal in Montreal brainwashing experiments case
The Supreme Court of Canada will not review a Quebec ruling that bars people from suing the U.S. government in Canada over its role in notorious brainwashing experiments at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.
Donald Trump can sue niece over NY Times article, court rules
A New York state appeals court said Donald Trump can sue his niece Mary Trump for giving the New York Times information for its Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 probe into his finances and his alleged effort to avoid taxes.
Shania Twain shares how she forgave her ex-husband's cheating: 'It's his mistake'
Shania Twain recently addressed the infidelity that rocked her marriage to Robert 'Mutt' Lange, whom she divorced in 2010 after he had an affair with her friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.
Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of homeless man in downtown Toronto
One of eight teen girls charged in the death of a homeless man in downtown Toronto has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Princess of Wales to miss major military display next month amid cancer treatment
Catherine, Princess of Wales, will not be returning to royal duties with an appearance at the Colonel’s Review, a military parade in London in early June, as she continues her treatment for cancer.
Police arrest 19-year-old suspect after Montreal triple homicide
Police have made an arrest following a deadly street fight that ended with three people killed in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough last week.