Police have arrested and charged two local men after the theft of $100,000 worth of meat from two Peterborough County butcher shops earlier in January.
On January 11th, a break and enter occurred at Smokey Joe’s Butcher Shop in Selwyn Township. The suspects stole around $45,000 worth of meat and caused an additional $20,000 worth of damage in spoiled product.
On January 19th and again on January 20th, a break and enter occurred at Otonabee Meat Packers on Drummond Line. The suspects stole around $40,000 worth of meat, caused an additional $8,000 worth of damage in spoiled product, and stole two commercial meat slicers valued at $8,000.
Through a joint investigation involving the Peterborough County OPP assisted by the City of Kawartha Lakes OPP, Durham Regional Police, and Kawartha Lakes Police Service, two men have have arrested and charged:
- Dean Prentice, 40, of Lindsay has been charged with two counts of break and enter, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, and trafficking in property obtained by crime over $5,000.
- Terry Watson, 55, of Douro-Dummer has been charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000.
Search warrants have been executed at several address in multiple jurisdictions and have also recovered approximately $100,000 in stolen property, unrelated to the butcher shop thefts.
Peterborough OPP investigators are offering an amnesty to members of the public who may have unknowingly purchased stolen meat, and are asking they come forward.
With the approval of the Bay of Quinte Mutual Insurance Company, Otonabee Meat Packers and Smokey Joe’s Butcher Shop have decided to donate all recovered usable product to the local food bank, the Riverview Park and Zoo in Peterborough, and area humane societies.
Investigators are actively looking for information that may lead to further suspects in these cases. Anyone with tips on these cases can contact Peterborough County OPP at 705-742-0401, the non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
