Stolen Canadian treasure returning to Canada

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, September 11, 2024       12:50 p.m.

Last updated September 15, 2024

(Ottawa) — Later this month, two Ottawa Police Service investigators will be in Rome, Italy, to retrieve a Yousuf Karsh portrait of Sir Winston Churchill, which was stolen from the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The Roaring Lion portrait was reported stolen in August 2022. The investigation revealed that the portrait had been taken between December 25, 2021, and January 6, 2022.

It was determined that the portrait was sold through an auction house in London to a buyer in Italy, both of whom were unaware that the piece was stolen.

With the help of public tips, forensic analysis, and international cooperation, investigators tracked down the individual responsible for the theft. Additionally, open-source research and collaboration with other agencies were key in identifying the suspect.

With the assistance of international law enforcement agencies, Ottawa Police investigators identified and charged Jeffrey Iain James WOOD, a 43-year-old man of Powassan, Ontario, for the theft and trafficking of the ‘Roaring Lion’ portrait. 

The man was arrested on April 25, 2024, and charged with:

• CCC 366(1)(a) Forgery
• CCC 334(a) Theft Over $5000
• CCC 430(3) Mischief/ Damage Property/ Exceeding $5000
• CCC 354(1) Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000
• CCC 355.2 Traffic in Property or Thing Obtained by Crime/ Exceeding $5000
• CCC 355.4 Possess Property or Thing Obtained by Crime for Trafficking/ Exceeding $5000

He appeared in an Ottawa court the following day.

The Ottawa Police Service has been working closely with the Carabinieri and the portrait's purchaser, a private citizen from Genoa, Italy, to ensure its safe return to Canada. 

With the assistance of the Carabinieri, arrangements have been made with the citizen to ceremoniously hand over the portrait to the Ottawa Police Service in Rome later this month.

Once in Ottawa Police custody, the portrait will be ready for the last step of its journey home to the Fairmont Château Laurier, where it will once again be displayed as a notable historic portrait. 

The Ottawa Police Service would like to express its deepest gratitude to the public and partner agencies for their assistance with this file. The extensive investigation would not have been possible without their cooperation and assistance.

Photo: Paul Hunter, CBC

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Members of the media will be invited to a joint media availability and photo opportunity of the handover of the portrait from police custody to the Château on a future date once the piece has returned to Canadian soil.

Ottawa Police Service, Media Relations Section

Tel: 613-236-1222, extension 5366

@OttawaPolice

instagram.com/ottawapolice