Newmarket suspect charged in $2 million theft and fraud investigation

An undated stock photo of a storage locker. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

The Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) reported on Wednesday that a Newmarket suspect is facing additional charges in a multi-million-dollar theft and fraud investigation in Ajax.

According to the DRPS, its Financial Crimes Unit (FCU) began investigating two employees at the Salem Road Amazon Fulfillment Centre in November. The DRPS says they were believed to be involved in the theft of nearly $2 million in merchandise over a two-year span.

On Monday, December 15, FCU investigators executed a search warrant at a Scarborough home.

A total of five suspects were arrested, including the two employees and the Newmarket suspect, and police say they seized $250,000 in high-end electronics and $50,000 in cash.

Then, on Tuesday, another search warrant was executed by the FCU at a Newmarket storage locker, where another $130,000 in stolen electronics was seized.

The 36-year-old Newmarket suspect was charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000, in addition to previous charges of fraud over $5,000 and theft over $5,000.

The other suspects, all from Scarborough, also face various fraud, theft and trafficking counts.

All of them were released on an undertaking.

Anyone with more information about these or similar incidents is asked to contact Det.-Const. Bonner of the FCU or Durham Regional Crime Stoppers.