OLDS — A Red Deer man faces 18 charges, including several fraud-related ones, after being spotted by an alert RCMP officer.
The incident occurred very early in the morning of July 20.
An Olds RCMP officer on patrol saw a newer model Dodge Ram truck with a stolen licence plate on it pull into a local gas station.
The vehicle was stopped and the lone male occupant was arrested for possession of stolen property.
That’s when things started to get really interesting.
“The male driver produced the RCMP officer with a fake photo ID card in an attempt to hide who he really was," Olds RCMP Cpl. Courtney Harding said in a news release.
“The officer was able to establish Identification of the driver, and noted he was wanted on several outstanding warrants from Red Deer city.”
As part of the investigation, the officer looked inside the truck and found many stolen documents, credit cards, ID cards, Canada Post keys, credit card fabrication machines, suspected methamphetamine, other electronic equipment, break-in tools and a prohibited weapon.
A judicial interim release hearing was held and Michael William Brown, 45, of Red Deer was held in custody, pending a bail hearing held on July 22.
Brown is charged with the following offences:
• possession of stolen property over $5,000
• possession of stolen property under $5,000
• possession of credit card fabrication machines known to be used in forging credit cards
• possession of a prohibited weapon
• impersonation with intent to avoid arrest/obstruct a police officer
• two counts of failing to comply with a release order
• operating an unregistered/uninsured motor vehicle on a highway
• driving while unauthorized to do so
• possession of a controlled substance
• possession of Canada Post keys, contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada
• two counts of possession of stolen credit cards
• trafficking property, knowing it was obtained illegally
• possession of break-in Instruments
• forging a false document
• two counts of possessing stolen ID cards
Harding says RCMP are continuing to investigate the matter because several people are believed to have been victims of Brown’s alleged crimes.
