Police officer questioned in Norval Morrisseau art fraud trial

A Niagara-area man is being accused of being part of an art fraud ring involving works of a late Indigenous artist.

A Niagara-area man accused of being part of an art fraud ring involving works of late Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau, called a police officer to testify in a Barrie, Ont. courtroom Friday about the actions of investigators.

Jeff Cowan, 49, who is representing himself on trial, charged with uttering forged documents and defrauding customers through the sale of purported works of Norval Morrisseau called the officer to the stand to question him about evidence collected from his properties searched by Thunder Bay and provincial police.

Det. Insp. Adam Wilkins was questioned by Cowan over zoom. He told the court about what he saw and did when responsible for recording video and taking photos of evidence.

Cowan asked the officer about why he did not record video inside Cowan’s storage locker where a filing cabinet was found. The officer testified there was “nothing of interest” inside the filing cabinet, so he chose not to photograph it.

Cowan asked the witness whether he personally opened the cabinet.

“I’m sure it was searched but I don’t know who opened it, but I do know it was opened,” the officer testified. He said the same when asked about storage bins found in the locker.

The case against Cowan centres on allegations he was the source of purported mimicked works of Norval Morrisseau, who died in 2007. The Crown alleges Cowan was part of a lucrative art fraud ring that passed off fake Morrisseau paintings as authentic art that flooded the market and sold for tens of thousands of dollars.

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Cowan’s co-accused Jim White, of Essa Twp., and David Paul Bremner took plea deals this summer and were sentenced to house arrest after admitting to being involved in the selling of purported Morrisseau works.

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Bremner testified this week, when called by Cowan to testify, he was an expert in Morrisseau paintings having studied them for years. He then appraised and authenticated works provided to him by White. He pleaded guilty to providing appraisal and certificates of authenticity for works he suspected may have not been real works of Norval Morrisseau.

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White, 84, testified for the Crown in September and told the court about provenance; vital documentation that traces the chain of custody of art from its creator to current owner. With provenance works become more valuable than art without documentation.

White testified Cowan told him he acquired Morrisseau pieces from his uncle, Dr. Howard Alexander.

“If you don’t have provenance you’re taking your chances,” White told the court. He testified he never received provenance from Cowan throughout the course of their dealings.

“Perhaps I never had provenance for any of the paintings,” he told the jury.

The trial is scheduled to continue next week when it is expected Cowan will call further witnesses testimony.