Ont. man, 78, sentenced for his role in Norval Morrisseau art fraud ring

A 78-year-old man was handed a conditional sentence on Tuesday for authenticating fake artworks in the style of renowned Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau.

David Paul Bremner pleaded guilty in July, having admitted in a Barrie courtroom to producing and using forged documents related to fake Morrisseau artworks, as well as possessing property obtained through crime with the intent of trafficking.

In his guilty plea, Bremner admitted to ignoring suspicions that the artworks were fake and that he didn’t do enough to verify their authenticity before certifying them.

The court heard some of the pieces sold for tens of thousands of dollars, with one selling for nearly $100,000. Police seized 892 artworks in the investigation.

He was sentenced to two years less a day, including eight months of house arrest.

The man at the centre of the art fraud ring, Jim White, 84, of Essa Township, pleaded guilty in June and was granted a conditional sentence of two years less a day, including 18 months of house arrest.

Morrisseau, widely known as the ‘Picasso of the North,’ is a celebrated figure in Canadian art, regarded as the grandfather of contemporary Indigenous art. His estate has been working to combat the proliferation of forgeries that flooded the art market after his passing in 2007.

Related Articles

• Ont. man sentenced for role in Norval Morrisseau art fraud ring
• Ont. men plead guilty for roles in art fraud ring involving works of Norval Morrisseau