Calgary police lay two charges in connection with fraud operation

Calgary police have charged two men with being part of a complex fraud ring to buy and sell snowmobiles across several provinces.

According to investigators, on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, a snowmobile dealer contacted police regarding a suspicious transaction.

Police say the Stolen Property Squad worked with county investigators to identify the rightful owners of the stolen property.

Instead, they uncovered a “sophisticated” identity fraud ring used by various people in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C.

According to Calgary police, the suspects used fraudulent identification to buy, deliver and sell snowmobiles and snowmobile trailers.

Investigators believe the suspects stole multiple victims' personal information, used the stolen information to create fake IDs, and obtained credit cards in the victims' names to purchase snowmobiles to sell online to unsuspecting buyers.

On Thursday, Feb. 1, police served a search warrant at a rural home on 84th Street SE, where investigators found stolen vehicles, including a Mercedes Benz Sports Coup, a Honda Odyssey minivan and a new utility trailer.

Police say the total amount of stolen property is more than $100,000.

Devin Douglas Bruce was charged with two counts of possession of false documents, two counts of credit card theft, receiving a stolen identity and possession of identity information.

The 35-year-old from Calgary will appear in court on Friday, March 15.

Isabella Morgan Schenck was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of stolen identification.

The 27-year-old from Calgary is also scheduled to appear in court on March 15.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or report it anonymously through CrimeStoppers.