A 78-year-old Ontario resident admitted involvement in a large scheme that sold forged Norval Morrisseau artwork. He received a sentence combining house arrest, a strict curfew, and probation-style conditions.
A court in Barrie approved a joint proposal that will see the man serve two years under progressively lenient restrictions.
He is not considered a leader of the fraud ring but held a significant responsibility. He provided forged certificates of authenticity featuring “gold” seals and dubious appraisals, which lent credibility to fake paintings attributed to Morrisseau.
The broader case revealed nearly 900 forged Morrisseau works were produced and sold. Investigators also noted the estate of Morrisseau suffered financial loss and harm to the artist’s reputation.
Under the sentence terms, the first eight months will be served under house arrest, followed by eight months under a strict curfew. The final eight months will include statutory conditions similar to probation.
Victim impact statements described this fraud as a moral and spiritual violation. The estate of Morrisseau expressed that while the artist died poor, others profited from his legacy.
