Two men from Stirling in Hastings County have been arrested and 16 stolen vehicles have been recovered, including several classic cars, following a province-wide investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
In late 2023, the Lambton County OPP’s crime unit received a complaint regarding stolen vehicles with a combined value of approximately $3 million.
As a result of the investigation, a search warrant was executed last Tuesday (May 14) at a property in Stirling in collaboration with the OPP Fleet, Supply and Weapons Services Bureau and the Central Hastings OPP Crime Unit and Emergency Response Team, with assistance from the OPP-led Provincial Auto Theft and Towing (PATT) Team and the OPP-led Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit (PAFU).
The investigative team located several of the stolen vehicles, including some classic cars. Police also seized 16 vehicles as proceeds of crime.
Police arrested 54-year-old Robert Bradshaw and 55-year-old Gary LeBlanc, both of Stirling, and charged both men with theft of motor vehicles over $5,000, fraud over $5,000, using forged documents, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. In addition, LeBlanc was charged with uttering threats.
“Collaboration across our organization and with our partner agencies is imperative to combat the prevalence of auto theft and related fraud within Ontario,” says OPP Detective Superintendent Paula Milne of the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau in a media release.
“The OPP-led Provincial Auto Theft and Towing Team and the Provincial Asset Forfeiture Team are well-equipped to assist frontline members and other agencies with auto theft investigations and investigations related to financial crimes,” Milne added. “This investigation is another testament to the surge we have seen in auto theft and financial crimes over the last few years and the need for subject matter expert involvement in these investigations.”
Both accused men have been released from custody and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville on a later date.
“I’m pleased that our crime unit members’ exemplary efforts played an important role in bringing this multi-unit investigation to a conclusion,” says Lambton County detachment commander Chris Avery. “Crime does not respect borders. That’s why it’s essential that members of law enforcement work together to bring criminals to justice.”
