On June 24, 2014, a man called the EPS to report a suspicious ad for a trailer that he was interested in purchasing. The man became suspicious after meeting the seller and looking at the vehicle. The VIN number did not look legitimate so he called police to further inquire about the trailer.
Southeast Division officers investigated the complaint and found that the seller had multiple warrants for his arrest and was known to police. Later that day, police executed the outstanding warrants and found the suspect was in possession of a stolen truck with the trailer attached that was listed for sale.
Further investigation revealed that the trailer that was posted for sale was stolen and had its VIN identifiers altered. Multiple search warrants were executed which revealed more evidence of stolen property worth more than $150,000.
The EPS worked in conjunction with 12 RCMP detachments in Alberta and Saskatchewan, along with the Saskatoon Police Service, and Calgary Police Service to recover and return almost $85,000 worth of stolen property to their rightful owners.
After a lengthy investigation, two suspects were charged on April 15, 2015.
Warren Sticker, 32, has been charged in Alberta with theft of motor vehicle (x4), trafficking stolen property over $5,000, possession of stolen property over $5,000 (x7), theft under $5,000, breach of recognizance.
Joshua Sticker, 41, has been charged in Alberta with alter VIN (x2), trafficking stolen property over $5,000, possession of stolen property over $5,000 with the purpose of trafficking(x2), failed to comply with probation (x2), breach of recognizance (x2), break and enter (x2), theft of motor vehicle (x6), possession of stolen property over $5,000 (x8), theft under $5,000, possession of stolen property under $5,000 (x3), fraudulent concealment, and possession of identity document.
Further charges are pending in Saskatchewan.