From Edmonton Police Service: Police seek original owners of recovered property

The Edmonton Police Service is seeking the original owners of property which is believed to be stolen, following the arrest of three suspects in a reportedly stolen vehicle.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 25, 2019, officers with the EPS Specialized Traffic Apprehension Team (STAT) conducted a vehicle stop in the area of 118 Avenue and 103 Street. The vehicle, a 2017 Ford U-Haul cube van, was determined to be stolen after it was reportedly rented in Innisfail, Alta. using stolen identity documents. 

As a result of the vehicle stop officers recovered a large quantity of allegedly fraudulent documents and stolen property including mail, financial documents, credit cards, forged identity documents and stolen identity documents, such as driver’s licences & social insurance cards. Investigators also recovered break-and-enter tools. With the assistance of the Innisfail RCMP and Calgary Police Service, a second vehicle that was reportedly stolen by way of identity theft in Calgary was also recovered in Innisfail.

Investigators believe the individuals committed a series of crimes across British Columbia and Alberta from late 2016 to early 2019, beginning in lower mainland British Columbia and moving through the southern interior of British Columbia and southern Alberta, until they were arrested in Edmonton. As a result, the personal items recovered may belong to citizens from several communities in either province, including but not limited to, Squamish, Surrey, Delta, Langley, Vancouver, Okotoks, Calgary and Edmonton. 

Among the recovered personal items were numerous pieces of jewelry, specialty spoons, comic books stamps and a camera.  Police believe that these items, along with many of the recovered identity and financial documents, were stolen during break-and-enters or thefts from vehicles. Often only a small number of these items are listed as stolen. While some recovered items were returned to their owners, several remain unclaimed. 

Photos of some of these items are included below. Additional photos of the recovered stolen property can be found on the EPS Pinterest page in hopes the original owners will come forward and claim them. Anyone who believes the stolen property may belong to them is encouraged to email [email protected]

Following a thorough investigation, 130 charges were laid in relation to the Jan. 25, 2019 arrest.

        
Jennilee Weiler, 30, was issued 47 charges including possess stolen credit card, obtain/possess identity information, , possess stolen property andpossess offensive weapon dangerous to the public. Weiler was also arrested for 45 outstanding warrants from Alberta and British Columbia, including theft, break-and-enter, mischief, VIN tampering and possess stolen vehicle over $5,000. 

Jason Fletcher, 32,  was issued 45 charges including made/possess identity document, obtain/possess identity information, possess stolen credit card, theft of motor vehicle and fraud over $5,000.

Adam Laderoute, 37, was issued 38 charges including made/possess identity document, possess stolen credit card, possess stolen property, obtain/possess identity information and possess offensive weapon dangerous to the public.

“Discovering large quantities of stolen or forged identity and financial documents in the course of conducting stolen property investigations is unfortunately becoming increasingly common,” says Const. Brendan Power with STAT.  “Often citizens may be unaware that their identity documents are being used to commit crimes, including frauds and thefts.”

Officers would like to remind citizens to keep their identity and financial documents in a secure location and avoid leaving them, along with any other valuables, in vehicles. If you’re victim of a break-and-enter, theft from vehicle, or if government identification is otherwise lost or stolen, report it to police as soon as possible. 

“Unfortunately these documents are frequently not reported missing or stolen to police,” says Power. “Reporting can significantly reduce the time it takes to return these documents and other property to their rightful owners.”

If you have information about stolen property or have had property or identity documents stolen, please contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.