 By Staff
March 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service Fraud Bureau, in partnership with investigators from Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) have concluded an investigation into Identity Fraud.
In October 2016, a victim reported having a motor vehicle registered to him in which he had no knowledge. The victim became aware of the unauthorized registration as a result of receiving 407 ETR bills.
 Every car sold has to be registered to someone – that proved to be a problem to one victim – there are others. A subsequent investigation by the HRPS and OMVIC discovered an independent auto dealer in Milton responsible for the false registrations. Further an additional four people from the GTA were identified as victims of the same scam. The location of these falsely registered vehicles is unknown at this time, however HRPS believes one of the vehicles has been involved in a break and enter offence in Southern Ontario.
 A car dealership was abusing the process of registering cars. Police want to talk to anyone who finds that a car they never owned has been registered in their name. The HRPS, with assistance of OMVIC, executed search warrants at the Milton dealership and residence of the dealership principles.
As a result, two Mississauga men have been arrested and charged as follows:
Jan KOWALCZYK (59yrs), charged with 6 counts of Identity Fraud, 6 counts of Uttering Forged Documents
and
Justin KOWALCZYK (25yrs), charged with 5 counts of Identity Fraud and 5 counts of Uttering Forged Documents
Police and OMVIC have seen a growing trend in the false registration of vehicles for fraudulent gain. Police are seeking information from the public in this regard.
 Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
This is a serious one. The implications from this kind of fraud that has a vehicle registered to someone that knew nothing about the registration touches on insurance and liability issues. When the bandits get inside government organizations – there is a very serious problem.
By Staff
March 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
On January 14th 2017, two male suspects were seen at Costco in Burlington where they began to follow a customer who was observed purchasing several electronic items.
The suspects then followed the customer to Best Buy in Burlington at which time; one of the suspects phoned Best Buy posing as a Fraud Investigator and reported that the customer may be involved in fraudulent activity. Staff at Best Buy began watching this customer while the original two male suspects made several trips in and out of the store while stealing merchandise.
The two male suspects then followed the customer from Best Buy to a Lakeshore Road underground parking lot where the customer left his vehicle unattended with numerous electronic items valued at $3106.00 which had been purchased at Costco and Best Buy.
The suspects then smashed a passenger side window to gain entry into the victim’s vehicle and stole all of the electronics.
 Unidentified shop lifter captured on video leaving Best Buy Police have identified one of the two male suspects as Gerald Daniel BLANCHARD, 45 of Vancouver, British Columbia who also uses the alias of Ricky WHITE. He was arrested and charged with two counts of theft under $5000 and one count of mischief under $5000. He will appear in Milton court on March 29th 2017.
Police have yet to identify the second suspect who is described as a white male in his 40’s with a heavy build wearing blue jeans, white t-shirt with a black jacket and baseball cap.
These thieves had no idea how deep the police coverage is in the high traffic retail locations.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Mark Urie the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Crime Team @ 905-825-4747 Ext. 2338. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
March 21st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Between March 10th and March 20th 2017, unknown suspect(s) stole a 1999 International Model 3800 72 passenger school bus which had been listed for sale from a parking lot on the North Service Road near Appleby Line in Burlington.
The school bus is yellow in colour with Ontario licence plates BK8359 and “Hamilton Christian Transportation Services” written on the side of it (Pictures of similar bus attached)
 Anyone with information is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau @ 905-825-4747 Ext. 2316. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
March 21, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Bikes that go for $4000 and $5100 a pop have been stolen from garages in the city that were left open. Police succeeded in recovering the bikes.
A thief appears to have scoped out a number of locations that had high end bikes in the garage and then made a trip back to snatch them, load them into his vehicle and drive off.
Didn’t work out as planned.
 On March 7th 2017 between 11:00 AM and 9:30 PM, a black with neon green trim Scott Genius mountain bike valued at $4000.00 was stolen from an open garage on Blue Spruce Ave. in Burlington.
On March 13th 2017 at approximately 1:50 PM, a male suspect was seen stealing a black with white framed Cipollini bicycle valued at $5100.00 from an open garage on Casselman Court in Burlington. The suspect was seen fleeing in a grey Jeep Wrangler and a licence plate was obtained.
Members of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Crime Team identified and arrested Trevor ARMSTRONG (30-yrs) of Grimsby in relation to both these thefts.
 He was charged with two counts of break, enter & commit theft and one count of possession of property obtained by crime. ARMSTRONG was released on a Promise to Appear in Milton Court on April 12th 2017.
Police want to remind residents to take precautions to ensure your homes and garages are secure and to report suspicious people and/or vehicles in your neighbourhood to police immediately.
Anyone with information about this or any other break and enter and/or bike theft is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau @ 905-825-4747 Ext. 2316. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
March 21st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
We are into the annual Fraud Prevention Month during which the Halton Regional Police Service Regional Fraud Unit will be hosting a Fraud Awareness Information Session on Thursday, March 23, 2017 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. in the Region of Halton Auditorium (1151 Bronte Road in Oakville).
 Members of the public are invited to attend the free evening event to learn more about the growing fraud trend in Halton Region and how to protect themselves from becoming victims. Officers with the Unit will be discussing typical scams they have encountered and will provide a series of valuable crime prevention tips. They will also review recent criminal investigations they have undertaken in the past year or so. The session will be followed by a question and answer period.
Reservations are not required and light refreshments will be provided.
For additional information on emergency scams, follow us on Twitter (@HaltonPolice) or visit www.haltonpolice.ca/about/specializedunits/fraud.php
Anyone with information pertaining to a fraud or any other crime is asked to contact the Regional Fraud Bureau Intake Office at 905-465-8741 or Fraud@haltonpolice.ca. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Pepper Parr
March 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If your household is anything like mine the Netflix subscription is key to whatever time there is for home entertainment or the occasional binge on a series you just learned about.
Lie to Me keeps me away from the writing – I tend to take in three or four episodes at a time
So when an email showed up saying there was a glitch in renewing the subscription I pay close attention, I didn’t want to be cut off.
I use a prepaid credit card for everything I buy online; that allows me to limit any loss that might occur should someone manage to actually get their mitts on the way I pay for things.
I thought maybe I had forgotten to top up the amount on the card.
If you don’t know what a prepaid credit card is – talk to your bank manager. A safe proof way to protect your real credit and at the same time limit any loss.
I have taught myself to look at the url on every piece of email that comes in related to money.
The url is the the name of the address the email came from. In his instance it read: (EXPLAIN)
Take a look at the url on this example: Netflix <noreply@netflix.ssl1.com> Anyone could have made up that email address. You could go on line now and create an email address that reads @netflix.ssl2.com
 This notice was not from Netflix; it was from someone who wanted me to click on that blue line which would direct me to a website where they could begin milking me for personal identity information. Don’t get pulled into things like this – look at the url
This is a legitimate Netflix email url: Netflix <info@mailer.netflix.com>
This was a scam – you can teach yourself the same little tricks and keep your bank happy at the same time.
Few people have any idea how much time the banks have to spend handling the return o funds that were taken illegally from an account. That plus the money that have to pay out.
The cardinal rule is this: If in doubt – don’t. And if it looks to good to be true – it usually isn’t true. Trust your instincts and reign in the greed all of us have.
By Staff
March 20, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There was a time that all you had to do was skip town and your problems with the local police force came to an end. The advent of social media put an end to that loop hole.
The long arm of the law stretches from coast to coast to coast. For the 22 year-old male sitting in Hamilton’s Barton Street jail awaiting extradition to California for hacking into the Yahoo web site and making off with billions of names with all kinds of data attached to them, that arm was quite a bit longer.
The police now have tools that are difficult to defeat.
 Halton Regional Police won’t be using motor cycles to bring back the two fugitives from British Columbia. They will be flown and the word will get out that the police are harder to evade these days. Members of Halton Regional Police Service’s Risk Mitigation Team (RMT) announced that they have arrested and returned two wanted individuals to Ontario who fled the province in attempts to avoid prosecution.
Over the past few weeks, RMT officers developed lists of wanted individuals, confirmed that warrants were still in effect, and completed background checks on the intended targets. Working with the RCMP in Surrey, British Columbia, two individuals were identified and arrested. Combined they face 14 charges, including Possession of Stolen Credit Card, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Breach of Probation, Uttering Forged Documents, Theft Under $5000, Fraud Under $5000, and Fail to Re-Attend Court.
The names of the two individuals and associated charges they face are:
Joanne WALKER-CALLUM (49 yrs) of Surrey, British Colombia – Possession of stolen credit card X4, Breach of Probation, Theft Under $5000, Uttering a forged document X2, and Fail to re-attend Court.
Blanka DOLEZALOVA (53 Yrs) of Surrey, British Columbia – Possession of Property Obtained by Crime X2, Theft Under $5000, Fraud Under $5000, and Fail to re-attend Court. She is also facing charges with the Ontario Provincial Police
Anyone with information on wanted parties or parties who are breaching their conditions of release is asked to contact Sgt. Paul Harrower (Milton/Halton Hills) at 905-634-1831 ext. 2467, D/Cst. Tim Woollands (Oakville) at 905-634-1831 ext. 2208, or D/Cst Calvin Bulbrook (Burlington) at 905-634-1831 ext. 2387.
Tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
March 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The arrest earlier this week of Karim Bartov. a technically brilliant young man, who lived in Ancaster is both sort of local news and a look into how thieves steal your money and when they can your personal identification.
They use a process call phishing – which is basically an email sent to you, which you might want to respond to if you think it comes from an organization you do business with. Your bank, Netflix, Canada Post and Apple are just a few of those we have seen used.
 Karim Bartov flashing a big handful of $100 bills. The thieves buy tens of thousands of names and fire off an email to see who might bite – thus the word phshing.
Where do the names come from? – the young man from Ancaster arrested earlier in the week had hacked into the Yahoo web site and took hundreds of millions of names and sold them to others.
Those names were your identity which they were selling to people who would use them to send out those emails that pop up in your incoming email.
 The cars were fast -hat about the women? There is almost no limit to what they creeps will do.
Karim Bartov was arrested earlier in the week on a warrant from the Federal Bureau of Investigation for breaking into the Yahoo computer servers where billions of names and all kinds of personal identity information was stored.
Bartov’s skills were such that he was able to actually take over the operation of the software that controlled the servers. He is accused of working with federal Russian agents
The following is an example of a phishing attempt:
With the introduction of our company into the US and Canada markets, We are currently seeking services of a Representative and Accounts Receivable Personnel/Manager. These positions are on part time bases, requires less than 4hrs weekly and pays between 5,200 to 10,000 monthly with other benefits.
If you are interested this position, visit our website below and click on BECOME A FIDUCIARY AGENT fill out the form and send to us for more information
We look forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards,
Willaim Gifford.
www.the-ggallery.net
giffordgallery@protonmail.com
If you no longer wish to receive information regarding this offer, please reply to this message with the word “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.
This one is filled with red flags.
The amount they are offering to pay for a few hours work appeals to the greed that we all have.
The Christian name of the sender is spelt incorrectly.
 Karim Bartov – a selfie of a selfie The final insult was the line saying you could unsubscribe. When you do that you have given the thief a name that he knows will respond to something,
When you see what to you doesn’t look right – respect your instincts – delete the email – and remain vigilant because there will be more of them.
The Gazette was talking to a bank manager on Friday who casually said he had cleared an Identity Theft claim for more than $7000 – “and that was just one” he added.
Bartov is now in a Hamilton jail cell awaiting a bail hearing.
By Staff
March 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Police in Burlington are seeking assistance from the public to identify four persons responsible for a series of thefts from vehicles overnight on March 14/15th from rural driveways in north Burlington. One victim had credit cards stolen which were used fraudulently at several locations in the City of Burlington. Four suspects were observed at the various locations.
Theft from autos continue to be a concern in Burlington, particularly when windows are smashed to gain entry.
A second series of thefts from vehicles occurred in the same rural area of Burlington overnight on March 16/17th. Police would like to remind people to avoid leaving valuables inside and/or in plain view. Police also encourage citizens to report any suspicious persons.
 Anyone who can identify these suspects is asked to contact Det. Ellie Bale of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Property Crime Team @ 905-825-4747 ext 2312. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
March 16th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A usually reliable source informed the Gazette that this was a murder-suicide – both people died.
The Halton Regional Police Service are investigating a double shooting at a Mejilla Chiropractic Clinic in Burlington. Officers responded to the location on Plains Road this afternoon at 12:05 p.m.
Both injured parties were taken to hospital for treatment. Their conditions are unknown at this time.
No suspects are being sought and there is no concern for public safety.
No suspects? More to this story.
Police advise that more information will be issued as it is available.
By Staff
March 16, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
On March 14th 2017, Robbery Investigators arrested James Lawrence FAHEY (27 yrs.) of Burlington and charged him with one count of robbery in relation to the robbery of a taxi driver in November, 2016.
He was released on Promise to Appear in Milton Court on April 19th 2017.
 Police want to arrest this man – can you help? Investigators are still seeking the public’s assistance to identify the second male suspect who has a nose ring in his left nostril and what appears to be a tattoo or scar in the area below his left ear.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2316. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
March 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
What in heavens name did John Tirone think he was doing when he tried to enter a court house with a weapon.
At 10:28am on Monday March 13th, 2017 a male was entering the Milton Courthouse located at 491 Steeles Avenue in the Town of Milton.
 Milton Court House hears all the criminal and family law cases along with civil matters. The male was being screened through a Security checkpoint. That’s when Halton Regional Police Court Officers noticed the firearm. The male was immediately arrested without incident. A search incident to arrest of the male uncovered some knives, one of which was a prohibited weapon. A further search of the male’s motor vehicle resulted in the seizure of a second loaded firearm.
A follow up investigation has revealed that there was no intended action to target any persons. Detective Sergeant Dave Costantini of the One District Criminal Investigations Bureau said, “We are extremely confident that there was no plan to harm any individuals at the Courthouse.”
What was the reason for even trying to take a weapon into the Court House?
A public safety search warrant was conducted on the male’s residence and resulted in the seizure of an additional 7 firearms.
John Tirone, 40 years of Burlington has been charged with several firearms related offences. He has been held for a bail hearing.
• 4 counts of Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose
• 1 count of Unauthorized Possession of Weapon
• 3 counts of Carry concealed weapon
• 8 counts of Careless Use of Firearm, Weapon, Ammunition (Included in these charges are the unsafe storage and transport of the firearms and ammunition).
• 2 counts of Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm/ammunition
• 2 counts Possession of Firearm at Unauthorized Place
 Doesn’t everyone know that security screening is done at every courthouse? Apparently not. There is a psych evaluation test to be done somewhere in the process of this case working its way through the judicial system.
Anyone with information that would assist in this investigation is asked to contact Detective Skoularicos of the Milton One District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747, ext 2420. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers.
“See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Pepper Parr
March 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Just how does Crime stoppers work?
Everyone knows what Crime Stoppers is. Few know just how it works other that there are cash awards for some tips.
The Gazette publishes the following at the bottom of every crime related news article. The Regional Police add it to everything thy send out.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
How effective is the service? Stats for 2016:
Number of Crime Stoppers tips called in – 1,218
Arrests made as the result of a Crime Stoppers tip: 36
Cases Cleared as the result of a Crime Stoppers tip: 25
Charges Laid as the result of a Crime stoppers tip: 75
Property Recovered as the result of Crime Stoppers tips: $40,630
Drugs Seized due to Crime Stoppers tips: $87,600
So – how does being anonymous actually work?
When someone calls the 1-800 number they are asked not to personally identify themselves. The Crime stoppers telephone number does not have call display on any of its lines.
Cal Millar, the Crime Stoppers vice chair explains that most people don’t call Crime Stoppers looking for a financial reward – they want to help but they don’t want to be identified.
When a person calls Crime Stoppers they are given a six digit file number – and that is the way they know each other – by a number. “If a person tells us who they are, our trained Crime Stoppers operator immediately ends the call and instructs the caller to call the police.
The anonymity is core to what Crime Stoppers does; people, for the most part do not call for the reward money.
When there is a cash payout – how does a caller get the money – that’s a part of Crime Stoppers that results in a lot of humourous stories.
 What Crime Stoppers vice chair Cal Millar might have looked like when he was handing over a reward – there would have been a flower in the lapel of the trench coat. Millar recalls the time he was to meet a Crime Stoppers caller. “I had an envelope with cash in it and had agreed to meet the caller at an agreed upon location. Because names were not being used I said I would be wearing a flower in the lapel of my jacket and would be standing near a stairway in a public place.”
“The Crime Stopper approached me” said Millar, “ told me what the six digit identifying number was and it matched what I had on the envelop so I passed it over and we each went our separate ways.”
The cloak and dagger days are in the past for Crime Stoppers. The organization has a number of trusted partners who hold the envelopes for people to pick up. A recipient of a cash award will drop by an office or a retail location and ask if there is an envelope. Give the clerk the identifying number and the envelope gets handed over.
 A tribute to the Eagles – Hotel California at the St Volodymyr Cultural Centre on March 30th. Where does the reward money come from? That’s what Crime Stoppers fund raising is all about. They hold events and raise funds that they then hand out.
Crime Stoppers has an event coming up on March 30th. Hotel California will be playing at St Volodymyr Cultural Centre on March 30th.
Crime Stoppers is supported by the Regional Police who provide office space and a trained staffer who has security clearance to handle the incoming calls.
There is also a police officer assigned to the unit as liaison. The role is currently filled by Detective Constable Jodi Thompson.
Police throughout Canada and the United states will tell you that after fingerprints Crime Stoppers is the best investigative tool they have. DNA has since been added to the best tools the police have.
By Staff
March 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s Fraud Prevention Month (#FPM2017) and the Halton Regional Police Service released the second of four scheduled Frauds of the Week: Emergency Scams. Emergency scams typically target older individuals and play upon their emotions to steal their money.
 According to the Better Business Bureau of Canada, the total amount lost to emergency scams in 2016 was $1.9 million. Since January 1, 2017, eight to ten victims in Halton alone have been defrauded of funds. One of these victims lost $14,000. Like romance scams, actual figures are believed to be much higher as victims often feel too ashamed to report fraud to police.
“Emergency scams work well because fraudsters throw victims into a state of mini-crisis,” according to Staff Sergeant Chris Lawson of the Regional Fraud Unit. “When this happens, the ability to think clearly or assess a situation is hampered and the first inclination – to help – kicks in.”
In a typical emergency scam scenario, an older person receives a phone call from someone claiming to be their grandchild, neighbour or friend of the family. The caller goes on to say that they are in some kind of trouble, a car accident, stranded in a foreign country or in jail, and need money immediately.
Some victims may get calls from two people, one purporting to be their loved one and the other a police officer or a lawyer. The caller will ask potential victims a series of leading questions which prompts them to volunteer personal information. Callers say that they don’t want others to find out what has happened. Typically, they will ask for money to be wired through a money transfer company.
More recently, victims have been asked for gift cards, known as “steam cards” as payment instead of money. In this variation, victims are asked to purchase the cards and read their serial codes to the caller over the phone.
Victims often don’t verify the caller’s story until after the money has been sent or the gift card information shared and cashed in.
The following tips to protect yourself from emergency scams have been provided courtesy of the Better Business Bureau and Royal Canadian Mounted Police:
• Remember: Scammers count on the fact that victims will want to act quickly to help their loved one in an emergency.
• Caution: Never send money to anyone you don’t know and trust. Verify the person’s identity before you take any steps to help.
• Think: Don’t give out any personal information to the caller.
• Investigate: Ask the person questions that only your loved one would be able to answer. Call someone you both know to verify the story. Scammers can learn a lot about you from social media, or while talking to you on the phone.
• Ask yourself: Does the caller’s story make sense?
• Important: Police will never ask you for money, steam cards or other forms of payment.
Anyone with information pertaining to a fraud or any other crime is asked to contact the Regional Fraud Bureau Intake Office at 905-465-8741 or Fraud@haltonpolice.ca. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
March 9, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The consequences of leaving anything of value in your car were evident when two Hamilton residents were charged with theft from motor vehicle and subsequent fraudulent use of stolen credit cards.
The arrested have been identified as:
 Chantal Cindy BARDY  Allan Edward ALLAN and Chantal Cindy BARDY walking into a retail outlet. Allan Edward ALLAN ( 29 yrs) and Chantal Cindy BARDY (31 yrs) both of Hamilton. They have been arrested and charged with theft under $5000, possession of property obtained by crime and use stolen credit card.
ALLAN will appear in Milton Court on March 22nd 2017 and BARDY will appear in Milton Court on April 5th 2017.
Police would like to remind the public to ensure their vehicles are locked and avoid leaving valuables inside and/or in plain view and to report any suspicious persons.
Anyone who with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Mark Urie of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Crime Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2338. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
March 9th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Regional Police have identified and arrested two individuals responsible for numerous fraudulent purchases across the GTA of Canada Goose Jackets using digital gift cards issued by a well-known outdoor retail chain, Sail Canada.
 The investigation first began in October of 2016 after two males made suspicious purchases at the Sail store in Burlington, Ontario, using gift cards. With the assistance of the company it was determined that the gift cards had been purchased with fraudulent credit cards and involved a similar pattern that had been occurring across the GTA.
Investigators from the Halton Regional Police Service Fraud Unit continued the investigation that led to the identity of the two individuals involved. A total of 71 digital gift cards were used, these cards were purchased using the credit card data of 19 different victims from both the USA and Canada.
Arrested and charged are:
Li De HUANG (Male) 29yrs of Scarborough
Jun WANG (Male) 27yrs of Mississauga
The charges include Fraud Over $5,000, multiple counts of Identity Fraud, and Unauthorized use of credit card data all contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. Both accused parties are to appear in Milton Court, March 29th, 2017 to answer to the charges.
Anyone with information pertaining to a fraud or any other crime is asked to contact the Regional Fraud Bureau Intake Office at 905-465-8741 or Fraud@haltonpolice.ca. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
March 6th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The 21st session of the International Women’s Day Breakfast hosted by former Burlington MP Paddy featured newly appointed Senator Kim Pate.
She gave the room of women an eyeful when she talked about the criminal justice system and how it treats women.
 Paul Hensall gave Senator one of the Convo Plates his Foundation created to keep a conversation about mental health going. Pate was the Executive Director of the Elizabeth Fry Society for more than 35 years. She was instrumental in and widely credited as the driving force behind the Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston, headed by Justice Louise Arbour. During the Inquiry, she supported women as they aired their experiences and was a critical resource and witness in the Inquiry itself.
It was no surprise then that Senator Pate chose to get very specific about what the federal government does and doesn’t do with and to women who are in conflict with the law.
Pate told the audience of influential Burlington women and representative students from almost every high school in the city, that it costs the federal government $348,000 to keep a woman in prison for one year.
She told the audience that the federal government spent more than $2 million transporting Ashley Smith from prison to prison before the young women ended her life in her cell while prison guards stood outside the cell door.
Ashley Smith was sent to prison for throwing stones at a postal worker. Her time in federal penitentiaries did not go well – she was a discipline problem and the time she had to remain in prison kept getting longer and longer.
The Ashley Smith case is one of those tragic embarrassments for which no one was held accountable.
 There was a long line up at the registration desk – for many high school students it was their first major event where they were celebrated as young women. Accountability is big with Senator Pate – but she takes it much further than most and preaches that society as a whole is accountable for how we handle those people who come into conflict with the judicial system. She does not pull her punches and being soft is just not her manner. She differentiates between being soft on those who are responsible and being compassionate to those who need help.
Pate asked her audience – why does any of this matter to Burlington and replied to the question saying it is in our best interest.
Before she started her talk Senator Pate encouraged her audience to ask questions – interrupt me if you have a question. Clearly the Senator had not been to Burlington before – that isn’t the way we Burlingtonians behave. We choose to be polite – which some describe as our complacency – after all there is no serious criminal element in the city.
 It was the safest room in the city – four female police officers shared the table with four high school students. Pate pointed out later in her talk that she is in pretty consistent touch with five people in Burlington who are on the wrong side of the bars. A Gazette reader mentioned to us a few days after the talk that they were working with a young man who is serving a prison sentence.
More than 88% of the women in prison are there because of poverty issues – they cannot sustain themselves and are not able to get away from relationships that are abusive.
Pate is a strong advocate of a living wage being paid to very person in Canada.
The two groups of people most as risk and who end up being tangled with the courts are women and students. At the root of all their problems is the matter of poverty.
“You will be changing that” Pate told her audience.
More than forty years ago in Dauphin, Manitoba residents were selected to be subjects in a project that ensured basic annual incomes for everyone. For five years, monthly cheques were delivered to the poorest residents of Dauphin, Man. – no strings attached.
And for five years, poverty was completely eliminated.
 The hall was filled – the guests at this table were at the buffet. The project’s original intent was to evaluate if giving cheques to the working poor, enough to top-up their incomes to a living wage, would kill people’s motivation to work. It didn’t.
But the Conservative government that took power provincially in 1977 – and federally in 1979 – had no interest in implementing the project more widely. Researchers were told to pack up the project’s records into 1,800 boxes and place them in storage.
A final report was never released.
 Senator Kim Pate You can guess what Senator Pate is going to be advocating for while she serves as a Senator.
The money is always there she said – they found the $2 million they needed to transport Ashley Smith between eight different penitentiaries when she was behind bars.
The Ashley Smith story:
Ashley Smith, born 29 January 1988 in New Brunswick was adopted when she was 5 days old. According to her adoptive parents, Coralee Smith and Herbert Gober, she had a normal child hoodbut between the ages of 13i-14, her parents noted distinct behavioural changes in the child; by age 15 she had been before juvenile court 14 times for various minor offences such as throwing crabapples at a mailman, trespassing, and causing a disturbance.
In March 2002, Smith was assessed by a psychologist who found no evidence of mental illness. However, her behavioural problems continued and she was suspended from school multiple times in the fall of 2002. In March 2003, after multiple court appearances, Smith was admitted to the Pierre Caissie Centre for assessment.
She was diagnosed with ADHD, learning disorder, borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality traits.
She was discharged several days early from the Centre for unruly and disruptive behaviour and returned to the New Brunswick Youth Centre (NBYC).
Smith was remanded to the NBYC multiple times over the next 3 years; during this time she was involved in more than 800 reported incidents and at least 150 attempts to physically harm herself.
In 2006, Ashley Smith turned 18; in July of that year a motion was made under the Youth Criminal Justice Act to transfer her to an adult facility. Smith hired a lawyer to fight the transfer, but was unsuccessful.
On 5 October 2006, Smith was transferred to the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre (SJRCC). Due to her behaviour at SJRCC, Smith spent most of her time there in segregation; she was tasered twice and pepper-sprayed once. On 31 October 2006, Smith was transferred to the Nova Institution for Women in Nova Scotia (a federal institution). Through 2007, Smith was transferred a total of 17 times between eight institutions during 11 months in federal custody.
While at Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ontario, on 16 October 2007, Smith requested to be transferred to a psychiatric facility; she was placed on a formal suicide watch on 18 October. In the early hours of 19 October, Smith was videotaped placing a ligature around her neck, an act of self-harm she had committed several times before. Guards did not enter her cell to intervene, and 45 minutes passed before she was examined and pronounced dead.
On 25 October 2007, three guards and a supervisor at the Grand Valley Institution for Women were charged with criminal negligence causing death in relation to Smith’s suicide; the warden and deputy warden were fired, but Warden Cindy Berry later quietly rehired. The criminal charges against her subordinates were later dropped.
No charges were ever brought against the warden or deputy warden.
On 8 October 2009, Smith’s family launched a wrongful death lawsuit against the Correctional Service of Canada, demanding C$11 million in damages; the suit was eventually settled out of court in May 2011 for an undisclosed amount.
By Staff
March 6th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s Fraud Prevention Month (#FPM2017) and the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) releases the first of four graphics illustrating common scams used on innocent, sometimes gullible people.
The program is being run nationally with the RCMP who report that 748 victims lost more than $17-million in 2016 to con artists purporting to be in love. The figures are believed to be much higher as many victims are too ashamed to report the fraud.
 Poster being used to warn people about romance scams. Dating and romance scams often begin when an individual creates a fake profile and posts it on popular online dating websites and/or social media. From there, he/she solicits interest in an attempt to gain a victim(s) affection and trust. Soon thereafter, a request(s) for funds is made. Believing themselves to be in a committed relationship, the victim often willingly complies. Money sent is not re-paid and the con artist disappears when they believe they have received all they can from someone.
“Dating and romance scams are popular because fraudsters prey upon the desire many people have to be love and accepted,” said Staff Sergeant Chris Lawson of the Regional Fraud Unit. “Sadly, it is often those who can least afford to lose money – older men and women, people who live alone or those with limited funds – who are victimized.”
The following dating and romance scam safety tips have been provided courtesy of the RCMP and the Competition Bureau of Canada:
• Only use legitimate and reputable dating sites.
• Check the addresses of online dating websites carefully. Scammers often set up fake websites with very similar URLs to legitimate ones.
• Be suspicious when someone you haven’t met in person professes their love. Ask yourself: Would someone I have never met really declare their affection after only a few letters or emails? Like many scams, if it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
• Be skeptical of out-of-the-ordinary stories. Common narratives include someone claiming to live nearby but who is working overseas or someone with a sick family member in need of funds.
• In some cases, scammers will try to lure potential victims with flowers or other small gifts before asking for banking details or money.
• Never send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust.
 Not always what it seems. Anyone with information pertaining to a fraud or any other crime is asked to contact the Regional Fraud Bureau Intake Office at 905-465-8741 or Fraud@haltonpolice.ca. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Pepper Parr
March 4th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Guns and handcuffs are what the public might be the most visible tools the police us every day – but the truth is that fingerprints, DNA and Crime Stoppers are the three biggest tools the police use every day.
Crime Stoppers is a voluntary organization that exists across the country. Each organization has a very tight link to the local police.
 Burlington, being part of the Halton Region, is tied in with Milton, Oakville and Halton Hills and part of Halton Crime Stoppers.
The Regional police recently appointed a new liaison officer to work with Crime Stoppers on a daily basis. Det Constable Jodi Thomson takes on this role as the next step in her 15 years + police career.
A graduate of the police program at Mohawk Colle Thomson was part of the influx of many more women into police service.
Born in Burlington, a graduate of Lester B. Pearson high school, Thomson made Oakville her home where she served as a patrol police officer and then as a detective with the Criminal Investigation branch where she focused on Break and Enter.
Thomson will tell you that the most satisfying part of her career to this point is the four years she spent in Educational Services where she worked with high school throughout the Region.
Thomson also served as an Acting Sergeant working on personal assault cases.
This latest assignment has Thomson working on one of the most critical links in the flow of information from the public to the police.
Everyone has heard about Crime Stoppers said Thomson, few understand how critical a part of policing it really is.
By Staff
March 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS), is one of 80 law enforcement agencies and public and private sector organizations nationwide, hat will be involved in Fraud Prevention Month 2017. The hashtag is #FPM2017.
Each year, thousands of Canadians of all ages and backgrounds become victims of fraud. Fraud victims not only suffer direct financial loss but may endure the stressful process of reversing its damaging effects such as identity theft and negative credit/credit history.
The Gazette reports on some very sad situations where a senior has lost tens of thousands of dollars in some cases to people who have preyed on them
Halton Regional Police Staff Sergeant Chris Lawson of the Regional Fraud Unit points out that” “The reality is fraud is a moving target – no sooner does word spread about one scam then it’s on to another. While the specifics surrounding a scam may differ, they are all rooted in deceit. The key is to know what to look for.”
Now in its 13th year, the aim of Fraud Prevention Month is to educate Canadians about fraud and on how best to protect themselves from it through the 3Rs: Recognition, Rejection, and Reporting. The central theme for 2017 is ‘Don’t buy into fraud.’
To accomplish this, agencies including the HRPS will carry out a number of activities and initiatives specific to their jurisdiction. In Halton, these will include:
• Weekly ‘Fraud of the Week’ press releases detailing current/popular schemes
• Increased promotion of fraud-related arrests to members of the press and through social media (Twitter (@HaltonPolice and District accounts) and Facebook)
• Live Fraud Q&A on Twitter (@HaltonPolice) on Friday, March 17 from 11:00 a.m. – noon
• Fraud information sessions for seniors offered at retirement homes throughout Halton
More information about fraud, including a number of useful links and resources, is available at www.haltonpolice.ca/about/specializedunits/fraud.php or by following the hash tag #FPM2017 on Twitter through @HaltonPolice.
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By Staff
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
