Leader of Norval Morrisseau Art Fraud Scheme Faces Sentencing in Thunder Bay on Thursday.
One of the individuals among the eight facing charges in what the Ontario Provincial Police describe as the most extensive art fraud inquiry in Canadian history is set to receive sentencing on Thursday in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Gary Lamont, who pleaded guilty on December 4 to the charge of creating false documents—primarily artworks—attributed to Morrisseau, along with a count of defrauding the public exceeding $5,000, will be the focus of the sentencing.
The agreed statement of facts submitted to the courts reveals that Lamont orchestrated the production and distribution of numerous counterfeit artworks falsely credited to Morrisseau, commencing in 2002. As per the statement of facts, a total of 190 “Lamont Ring Forgeries” have been identified thus far, with investigators seizing 117 of them.
“To have one of the key figures that we’ve been interested in admit to his guilt in terms of creating fake Morrisseaus, that’s a huge step forward,” said Johnathan Sommer, a lawyer who specializes in art forgery.
Sommer acted as legal counsel for Kevin Hearn, the keyboardist for Barenaked Ladies, in a lawsuit against a Toronto art dealer accused of selling him a counterfeit Morrisseau painting. The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Hearn, granting him $60,000 in damages.
According to Sommer, persuading law enforcement and the courts to treat art fraud seriously was once a challenging task.
In March of this year, law enforcement filed over 40 charges against eight individuals following an extensive investigation spanning several years into the replication of the renowned Anishinaabe artist’s creations. The inquiry resulted in the confiscation of over 1,000 counterfeit Morrisseau artworks.
The estate of Morrisseau is confronted with a costly and challenging endeavor: identifying, examining, and discrediting the numerous counterfeit works to safeguard the genuine legacy of Morrisseau.
The remaining seven individuals purportedly linked to the art fraud ring are slated to make a court appearance on Thursday. Diane Marie Champagne, Benjamin Paul Morrisseau, Linda Joy Tkachyk, and David John Voss will be present in the Thunder Bay court.
Additionally charged are Jeffrey Gordon Cowan of Niagara-on-the-Lake, James (Jim) White of Essa Township, and David P. Bremner of Locust Hill. They are scheduled for a pre-trial appearance in Barrie.
