Thunder Bay man pleads guilty to 2 charges in Norval Morrisseau art fraud investigation

One of eight people charged in the Norval Morrisseau art forgery case pleaded guilty to two charges Monday in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Gary Lamont pleaded guilty to a charge of making false documents, mainly artwork, that was attributed to Morrisseau and a count of defrauding the public in an amount exceeding $5,000. The other seven charges he faces are expected to be withdrawn at his next court appearance on Dec. 14, which will discuss potential sentencing.

Third parties in the case will be contacted and victims, Anishinaabe elders, community members and Morrisseau's family will be invited to make impact statements to the court.

Lamont's lawyer Gil Labine attempted to seek a publication ban, but that request was denied by Justice Bonnie R. Warkentin.

Police laid more than 40 charges against eight people this past March after a years-long investigation into the forgery of the famous Anishinaabe artist's work.

Morrisseau, who died in 2007 at age 75, was a renowned Anishinaabe artist from the Ojibway Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation in northwestern Ontario. He's known as the founder of the Woodlands School of Art and his work has been exhibited in galleries across Canada, including at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

During the investigation, police obtained a warrant to search Lamont's home, where they began seizing paintings, according to Thunder Bay Police Service Det. Sgt. Jason Rybak, who laid out the police's case in March.

A reporter walks past 'Androgyny' by Norval Morrisseau (right) and 'Tweaker' by Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun during a media tour of the Canadian and Indigenous Art: 1968 to Present at the National Gallery of Canada's contemporary art galleries Tuesday May 2, 2017, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press )

The Ontario Provincial Police and Thunder Bay Police Service collaborated on the investigation, which began in 2019. A significant lead for police came from the 2019 documentary film about the forgery of Morrisseau's art, There Are No Fakes involving Kevin Hearn, a member of The Barenaked Ladies.

Others charged in the case are David John Voss, Diane Marie Champagne, Linda Joy Tkachyk and Benjamin Paul Morrisseau, all of Thunder Bay. The court heard that Tkachyk's matter will also be discussed on Dec. 14.

Also charged are Jeffrey Gordon Cowan of Niagara-on-the-Lake, James White of Essa Township and David P. Bremner of Locust Hill.

Police said the eight accused were part of three distinct, yet intertwined groups that created the fraudulent artwork. The first group was launched in 1996 and operated in Thunder Bay like an assembly line.

Another group started in 2002, and brought in talented Indigenous artists to create the paintings. Finally, a third group began operating in southern Ontario in 2008.

The three groups traded paintings back and forth, and two of the accused were involved in the distribution of paintings by all three groups.

The fraud also included creating fake certificates of authenticity, police said.

A spokesperson for the OPP told CBC News on Monday that people who suspect they may have a fraudulent Morrisseau painting are advised to contact legal counsel.