Tuesday, April 3, 2007

LOCAL CREDIT CARD THEFT CONSPIRACY SOLVED

(Elliot Lake, Ont.) The East Algoma OPP Crime Unit Branch has concluded their investigation of theft at a local gas station.

On January 17th, 2005 the local ESSO Station contacted police regarding a possible employee theft. Investigation revealed that an employee was receiving stolen credit card numbers from the co-accused and allegedly used them to steal funds from his employer. As a result of the investigation the following charges were laid:

Graham Roy TARRANT (21) of Sault Ste Marie with the following:

Theft Under (X 13)
Possession/Use of Stolen Credit Card Data (X 13)
Conspiracy to Commit Indictable Offence (x1)

A warrant has been issued for Michael Patrick ARMSTRONG (27) of North Bay for the following:

Theft Under (X 13)
Possession/Traffic of Stolen Credit Card Data (X 13)
Conspiracy to Commit Indictable Offence (x1)

Approximately $10,000.00 was fraudulently obtained during these transactions.

Police would like to remind employers and citizens to guard credit card information and to verify transactions on their credit card statements.

YOUR CALLS HELP TAKE ANOTHER IMPAIRED DRIVER OFF THE ROAD.

Echo Bay, Ont.,

The cooperative teamwork between the public and the police was instrumental in taking another impaired driver off the roadway last night.

Just after 7:00 p.m. last night the OPP Communication Center received a report of a van traveling west of Bruce Mines, driving in a manner that lead the caller to believe that the driver may have been drinking. OPP received a second call of the operator’s erratic driving actions on the four lane section in Laird Twp.

A Sault Ste Marie OPP officer located the vehicle traveling on Hwy 17 in Laird Township. The driver was traveling at a very slow speed and having difficulty staying in the proper lane. The vehicle was pulled over the male driver was taken into custody.

He was returned to the Sault Ste Marie OPP detachment where his breath samples registered in the area of three times the legal limit.

Sixty one (61) year old Gene Cary PREPCHUK of 615 Albert Street West in Sault Ste Marie has been charged with Impaired Driving and Driving While Over the Legal Limit of .08.

He will appear in Sault Ste Marie court on 14 May 2007.

Sault Ste Marie OPP would like to thank the motorists who reported this impaired driver to the police.

Just a reminder that the OPP can be reached on your cell phones in several different ways. If you see any activity that you feel the OPP should know about you can call our toll free number anywhere across Ontario at 1- 888- 310- 1122. Depending on what cell phone company you use, you can call us by dialing * OPP ( * 677 ). Of course if the situation is an emergency, dial 911.