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How fraudsters cashed in on the legacy of a beloved Canadian artist

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Manage episode 519981614 series 3340809
Content provided by Village Media Inc.. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Village Media Inc. or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

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Spanning many years, the scheme grew into one of the largest art frauds in Canadian history: thousands of fakes bearing the forged signature of renowned Indigenous painter Norval Morrisseau.

When police first revealed the fruits of Project Totton back in 2023, eight suspects were arrested and more than 1,000 alleged ripoffs were seized. At the time, investigators believed the total fraud surpassed $100 million.

In a Barrie courtroom last week, the final suspect learned his fate. A jury found Jeff Cowan of Niagara-on-the-Lake guilty of three counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count of uttering a forged document.

The 49-year-old, who represented himself during trial, is due back in court next month to set a date for sentencing submissions. An eventual prison term appears all but certain.

BarrieToday court reporter Peter Robinson, who covered the high-profile fraud trial, is our guest tonight on Village Media's Closer Look podcast.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

  continue reading

193 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 519981614 series 3340809
Content provided by Village Media Inc.. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Village Media Inc. or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Send us a text

Spanning many years, the scheme grew into one of the largest art frauds in Canadian history: thousands of fakes bearing the forged signature of renowned Indigenous painter Norval Morrisseau.

When police first revealed the fruits of Project Totton back in 2023, eight suspects were arrested and more than 1,000 alleged ripoffs were seized. At the time, investigators believed the total fraud surpassed $100 million.

In a Barrie courtroom last week, the final suspect learned his fate. A jury found Jeff Cowan of Niagara-on-the-Lake guilty of three counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count of uttering a forged document.

The 49-year-old, who represented himself during trial, is due back in court next month to set a date for sentencing submissions. An eventual prison term appears all but certain.

BarrieToday court reporter Peter Robinson, who covered the high-profile fraud trial, is our guest tonight on Village Media's Closer Look podcast.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

  continue reading

193 episodes

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