Auto theft crackdown in Calgary results in 72 charges

After announcing a new effort last week to focus on auto thefts in Calgary, police conducted covert operations on the weekend that resulted in 72 charges.

Officers arrested seven people and executed 116 outstanding warrants in relation to stolen vehicles and related crimes, according to a release issued Wednesday.

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The three covert operations targeted known auto thieves, acting Insp. Mark Hatchette of the Calgary Police Service said in the release.

In each case, the suspects were monitored and observed to be committing crimes, he alleged.

In one case, a man wanted on existing warrants was seen Monday driving a white Ford Mustang that was registered as a rental vehicle. The police contacted the rental company and discovered the Mustang was obtained by fraud and was thus considered stolen.

The driver was observed meeting up with people in a second vehicle, and property was moved into the Mustang.

The two vehicles were followed to a parking lot in the 2100 block of Crowchild Trail, where the people were arrested without incident.

Officers searched both vehicles and found a loaded .45-calibrepistol, a loaded 9-mm gun, a loaded SKS rifle, body armour, three canisters of bear spray, $6,000 in cash and almost $4,000 worth of drugs.

The drugs included hash, methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and marijuana.

The following people face a total of 72 charges:

• Michael Anthony Ghostkeeper, 32.
• Tracy Leanne Suffesick, 33.
• Chad Everett Munroe, 40.
• Darcy Frederick Shepherd, 54.
• Trevor Edward Marshal Hogan, 31.
• Kyle Robert Meckler, 32.
• Daemond Anthony Glenn, 29.

The district operations teams were assisted by patrol officers, the HAWCS helicopter, the canine unit, the centralized break and enter teams, and the prolific offender engagement team.

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