On September 28, 2020 members from the Huntsville Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police entered into a fraud investigation. A truck was fraudulently purchased from Armstrong Dodge car dealership located on Howland Dr., Huntsville. Further investigation revealed that on September 29, 2020 a second attempt to fraudulently purchase another vehicle had occurred.
On Friday, October 2, 2020, Heather MCLEAN, a 39-year-old female from Toronto, and Brianna COOPER-STEELE, a 24-year-old female from Cambridge, were arrested and charged. These arrests were the result of a collaborative investigation with Armstrong Dodge dealership and the Ontario Provincial Police. Ontario Provincial Police units involved were the Muskoka Crime Unit and Street Crime Unit assisted by the OPP Central Region Support Team and uniform members of the Huntsville Detachment.
Both MCLEAN and COOPER-STEELE have been charged with the following:
- Fraud over $5,000.00 contrary to section 380 (1)(a) of the Criminal Code
- Use, deal, act on forged document contrary to section 368 (1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
- Personation with intent to obtain property, (identity fraud) contrary to section 403 (1)(b) of the Criminal Code.
- Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.00 contrary to section 355 (b) of the Criminal Code.
MCLEAN and COOPER-STEELE were held in custody and appeared before a bail hearing on October 3, 2020.
Both MCLEAN and COOPER-STEELE were released with conditions and are scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice, Huntsville ON, on October 21, 2020 to answer to their charges.
The investigation into both these frauds is ongoing. If you have any information about these occurrence please contact the Huntsville OPP Detachment at 705-789-5551 or the OPP Provincial Communication Centre at 1-888-310-1122.
You can also provide an anonymous tip online at www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to call display and you will remain anonymous. Being anonymous, you will not testify in court and your information may lead to a cash reward of up to $2,000.00. You can follow Crime Stoppers of Simcoe Dufferin Muskoka on Twitter or Facebook.
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The Canadian Judicial System is laughable and, that is being generous !
Organized Crime knows this and will continue to prey upon businesses with virtually no accountability to speak of.
The time is way over due for the local Judiciary to do the right thing and take a stand to protect our communities against these traveling criminals.
Make their sentences meaningful as a deterrent to other like-minded criminals.
Unfortunately time and time again we see a Judicial System that is “bloated “ with what amounts to being an over paid Judiciary, out of touch with the communities they are responsible to protect, putting out decisions that are laughable; to say the least.