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Podcast: Closer Look
Episode: How fraudsters cashed in on the legacy of a beloved Canadian artist
Description: 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...