OPP seize over 1,000 pieces of fake artwork falsely attributed to artist Norval Morrisseau
A Niagara-on-the-Lake man is facing charges in connection to a decades long art fraud investigation.
On March 1st, the OPP and the Thunder Bay Police Service arrested eight people in connection to the case.
The individuals are accused of producing and distributing fake artwork and attributing it to artist Norval Morrisseau.
Morrisseau was a prolific Indigenous artist, and the allegations began to emerge before his death in 2007.
The OPP says over 1,000 alleged fraudulent pieces have been seized, some of which had been sold for tens of thousands of dollars to unsuspecting members of the public.
Jeffrey Gordon Cowan, 47, of Niagara-on-the-Lake has been charged with the following offences:
- Uttering Forged Document contrary to Section 368 of the Criminal Code
- Defraud the Public Over $5,000 contrary to Section 380(1) of the Criminal Code
- Fraud Over $5,000 contrary to Section 380(1) of the Criminal Code x 4
Charges were also laid against seven other people.
"It was important for the OPP and the Thunder Bay Police Service to identify and hold accountable those who allegedly profited illegally by forging Norval Morrisseau's artwork," says OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique. "The results of this investigation are a testament to the commitment and competence of the investigators and the collaboration of policing partners." OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique
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