$80,000 in goods recovered as 10 Brampton people charged in theft, fraud ring
Published April 28, 2022 at 4:49 pm
Ten Brampton residents are among a dozen people facing numerous charges after Peel Regional Police teamed up with other law enforcement agencies to bust a massive theft and fraud ring.
Police say they’ve recovered more than $80,000 in stolen property. They didn’t say what types of items were recovered, but photos released by Peel police show a wide variety of household products that could be purchased at any department store.
The probe began last November when officers with the Peel police 11 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau started looking into “a large-scale organized crime group in Southern Ontario.”
After a five-month investigation that also involved the Canada Border Services Agency, Waterloo Regional Police, Brantford Police and investigative teams at Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart Canada, officers executed multiple search warrants at homes in Peel on Tuesday (April 26).
As a result, a “significant amount of property from various retail stores” was located at the homes, police say.
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Police did not say if other retail stores besides Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart were targeted, nor did they say if any of the targeted stores were in Mississauga or Brampton.
Although Peel police 11 Division is located in west Mississauga, police did not specify what, if any, Mississauga connection exists in the probe.
However, police did note the importance of collaboration between various law enforcement agencies.
“The successful conclusion of this complex investigation would not have been possible without the collaboration of our law enforcement partners and the assistance of our community stakeholders, both public and private,” said Peel police Deputy Chief Marc Andrews. “It is yet another example of our commitment to community safety and well-being.”
Zaneta Stojkova, 41, Rene Stojka, 32, and Ingrid Stojkova, 43, all of Brampton, are facing various counts of theft and fraud charges in addition to other offences that include driving while suspended and fail to comply orders.
Police say Ingrid Stojkova was also wanted on 13 additional warrants for various offences from previous unrelated incidents.
Also facing theft and/or possession of property obtained by crime charges are Nikola Stojkova, 32, Mario Fatak, 39, Robert Svoboda, 52, Kevin Nemeth, 18, Mauricio Nemeth, 20, a 16-year-old girl, and a 15-year-old girl, all of Brampton.
Two 14-year-olds, a boy and girl, both of no fixed address, are also charged in connection with the case.
Those under the age of 18 cannot be named.
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