Man from Northern Ontario Arrested for Stealing Iconic Churchill Photograph

Police have identified the suspect in the theft of a 1941 portrait of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, captured by renowned Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh. The suspect is 43-year-old Jeffrey Iain James Wood from Powassan, Ontario. Wood was arrested on April 25 and appeared in court in Ottawa on April 27, facing multiple charges.

The famous portrait, known as “The Roaring Lion,” was stolen from the lobby of Ottawa’s Fairmont Château Laurier hotel in August 2022. It has since been recovered in Italy and will be returned to the hotel.

Ottawa Police announced that two investigators will travel to Rome later this month to retrieve the portrait. The photo, reported stolen in August 2022, was determined to have been taken between December 25, 2021, and January 6, 2022. It was later sold through a London auction house to a buyer in Italy, both unaware the piece had been stolen.

“With the help of public tips, forensic analysis, and international cooperation, investigators tracked down the individual responsible for the theft,” Ottawa Police said in a statement. The investigation involved open-source research and collaboration with law enforcement agencies worldwide, leading to the identification and charging of Wood for the theft and trafficking of the portrait.

Wood faces charges of forgery, theft over $5,000, mischief causing property damage over $5,000, possession of stolen property, and trafficking in stolen property, all exceeding $5,000 in value.

Ottawa Police are coordinating with the Italian Carabinieri and the buyer, a private citizen in Genoa, to ensure the portrait’s safe return. The portrait will be ceremonially handed over to Ottawa Police in Rome before being returned to the Fairmont Château Laurier, where it will once again be displayed.

The Ottawa Police Service expressed gratitude to the public and partner agencies for their assistance in solving the case, noting that the extensive investigation would not have been possible without their cooperation.