St. Albert RCMP have arrested two Edmonton suspects after a man attempted to finance a vehicle at a local dealership on Jan. 6 using fraudulent identification.
RCMP said an investigation into that incident revealed a suspicious male had arrived to purchase the new vehicle in a stolen vehicle, with a female passenger. Officers searched the vehicle and located more stolen and fraudulent identification documents.
The St. Albert RCMP Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) launched a subsequent investigation and on Jan. 11 searched an Edmonton residence.
During the search, officers located hundreds of fraudulent identity documents, stolen identification, stolen government cheques and prohibited weapons.
Trini Peter Shirt, 34, and Twyla Steinhauer, 33, both of Edmonton, have been charged with possession of property obtained by crime, fraud and possession of fraudulent documents in relation to the dealership fraud attempt.
Shirt was also charged with possession of stolen property, possession of fraudulent documents, possession of prohibited devices, and failure to comply with release documents in relation to the residence search.
He was brought before a Justice of the Peace and was ordered to be held in police custody. He will appear in St. Albert Provincial Court on Feb. 8. Steinhauer will also attend court in February.
The investigation revealed much of the stolen identification had been obtained from unlocked motor vehicles. The St. Albert RCMP would like to remind citizens to remove all valuables from vehicles. Also, locking up at night reduces the risk of theft and potential identity fraud.
Anyone with information on this crime or any other is asked to contact St. Albert RCMP at 780-458-7700. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.P3Tips.com.
