On Monday July 11, 2016, the Winnipeg Police Commercial Crime Unit were alerted to a number of businesses noticing suspicious purchases.
A group of males had gone to a local shopping mall and allegedly used forged identity documents and fraudulent credit cards to obtain cell phones from various retailers.
Police investigated and on July 12, 2016, detectives arrested the following three suspects from Montreal, Quebec, in relation to this incident:
Emmanuel KWAKWAH, 31 years
- Fraud Under $5,000 x 5
- Possess Goods Obtained by Crime Under $5,000
- Participation in a Criminal Organization
Kofi OWUSU, 28 years
- Fraud Under $5,000 x 5
- Possess Goods Obtained by Crime Under $5,000
- Participation in a Criminal Organization
- Possess Forged Documents
- Use Forged Documents.
Allan LOCHARD, 19 years
- Fraud Under $5,000 x 5
- Possess Goods Obtained by Crime Under $5,000
- Participation in a Criminal Organization
- Possess Forged Documents
- Use Forged Documents
- Possess Forged Credit card
- Possess Counterfeit Mark
Total losses are estimated to be in excess of $7,000. All three accused were remanded into custody.
Investigators believe additional businesses may have been victimized in a similar manner by these suspects. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is asked to call 204-986-6213 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).
