Guilty pleas for stealing Winston Churchill portrait from Ottawa hotel
Missing Roaring Lion print found in Italy last year
The man accused of stealing one of the world's most famous portraits from Ottawa's Château Laurier hotel and replacing it with a fake during a COVID-19 lockdown has pleaded guilty to three of six charges against him.
Jeffrey Wood apologized for his crimes in court Friday, telling the judge that the international theft of The Roaring Lion was "incredibly misguided".
The hotel was given the famed portrait of former British prime minister Winston Churchill in 1998 by celebrated photographer and longtime hotel resident Yousuf Karsh.
Sometime between Christmas and New Year's Day in 2022, while Ottawa was in a COVID-19 lockdown, the portrait was stolen and replaced with a framed fake — despite the frame being affixed to the wall with special bolts that required specific knowledge and unique tools to unfasten.
Before stealing the portrait, Wood had reached out to Sotheby's about selling a print of The Roaring Lion from the Karsh Estate. He also posted on social media about his plans to leave Canada. Days before the theft, on Christmas Eve, he had a two-minute phone call with the hotel.
It remains unclear how he carried out the theft, and his crime went unnoticed until the following August, when a hotel staff member realized something was amiss with the portrait.
Wood had used duct tape to attach a copied print to a picture backing and placed it in a frame with matting similar to the stolen one.
A complex, global investigation
The theft made international headlines and launched an Ottawa police investigation spanning several countries and two continents.
Investigators determined that a man in Genoa, Italy, had purchased the portrait through a London auction house. The buyer had no idea he had acquired a cherished piece of Canadian history — let alone a stolen one — and when contacted by police, he quickly agreed to return it.
Through the auction house, police learned the seller was Wood and began investigating him. His bank records show he had received $4,503.85 for the stolen portrait.
They found he had made a call to a storage facility on Dec. 27, 2022, where officers later discovered a Roaring Lion poster printout similar to the one left at the scene of the crime.
A toothbrush found in the storage locker allowed police to match Wood's DNA to the crime scene.
Police called on experts, including those from Library and Archives Canada, to examine the fraudulent print. They found the signature was a poor replica of Karsh's, the frame size was incorrect, and its quality inferior.
Visitors to the hotel had continued taking photos of the copy, including one on Christmas Day, allowing police to narrow down the timeline of when the theft occurred.
When the portrait was recovered, it had scratches and had been damaged by mould.
Thief studied philosophy, worked as a bank teller
At the time of his arrest last September, Wood was living with family in a remote location near North Bay.
He turned himself in after learning a warrant had been issued for his arrest and spent five days in custody before being released on strict bail conditions.
When police announced in September that the portrait had been found, they also revealed six charges against Wood.
The 44-year-old from Powassan, a municipality of about 3,300 people south of North Bay, pleaded guilty Friday to forgery, theft over $5,000, and trafficking property obtained by crime. Three other charges were withdrawn.
Little is known about Wood, but during sentencing submissions, court heard he had been buying and selling photographs since 2017 and was splitting his time between Canada and Mexico.
Court was also told he had suffered a serious snowboarding accident, studied philosophy, and worked as a bank teller nearly a decade ago.
He had also been employed by the Rideau Canal Festival and the Ottawa Jail Hostel in the past.
He left for Mexico on Jan. 5, 2022 — shortly after the theft — but later returned to Canada.
During his comments to Justice Robert Wadden, Wood explained he committed the crime as a means to help his struggling brother who was located overseas; but his brother was found dead shortly after the portrait was sold.
"This was not a crime of greed. It was a crime of love," said his lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, after court.
Prosecutors are seeking a nearly two-year jail sentence, but his lawyers argue he should serve his time in the community.
His sentencing is expected on April 14.
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