A 50-year-old Lambton County man has been charged in connection to a multi-jurisdictional fraud investigation, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say.
The investigation began back in January, when members of the Elgin County OPP were called to a home in West Lorne, after reports that an individual had attended the residence and offered to repair the chimney.
“The individual asked for a cash deposit of $200 and was to return at a later date to begin repairs,” police said in a news release this week. “The individual never returned to residence and could not be contacted with the information provided.”
OPP say the investigating officer determined the identity of the individual and learned that the same method had been utilized to defraud several residents in excess of $10,000 from other jurisdictions including Town of Petrolia, St. Clair Township, Municipality of Brooke-Alvinston, Municipality of Southwest Middlesex, Township of Dawn-Euphemia and City of Quinte West.
A warrant for arrest was sought and issued for the accused by the Ontario Court of Justice.
“On May 23, 2024, a member of the OPP, Orillia Detachment, conducted a traffic stop with a passenger vehicle on Highway 12 near West Street, City of Orillia following a ‘Wanted Persons’ alert from the Automated Licence Plater Recognition (ALPR) system,” police added. "The driver was determined to be the individual with the arrest warrant, was taken into custody without incident, and transferred into the custody of Elgin County OPP to satisfy the arrest warrant.”
As a result, a 50-year-old from the Township of Dawn-Euphemia was charged with seven counts Fraud under $5,000.
The accused was held for a bail hearing, has since been released, and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Thomas on June 18, 2024.