Third Suspect Turns Herself In As Police Investigate Huge Moving Scam In Toronto
Officers have recovered a "substantial amount" of property.
Toronto Police Service car. Right: Storage units.
The Toronto Police Service just issued a ton of charges against a woman, after she turned herself in for allegedly being involved in a large-scale moving scam in the city.
According to police, at least nine different budget moving companies are at the centre of the alleged moving scam, which saw customers being overcharged by thousands of dollars. If the victims were unable to pay up, officers said their belongings were put in a storage warehouse and they were charged storage fees.
"The customer was provided with a low-cost contract for moving their belongings," reads a Toronto Police Service press release. "Once the items were loaded onto a truck, the men would contact the customers making a demand for more money."
On June 29, Toronto police said that a 27-year-old woman, Amethyst Jones, turned herself in. That same day, the police service laid a slew of charges in connection with fraud, after asking the public for help locating a woman by the same name.
Jones is facing charges linked to 4 counts of false pretense, 4 counts of fraud over $5,000, 4 counts of mischief over $5,000, 4 counts of possession of property obtained by crime, and conspiracy to commit indictable offences.
Which companies were part of the moving scam?
If you live in the Toronto area, there were at least nine moving companies allegedly involved in the fraud. These moving companies made the police's list: 12282569 Canada Inc., O'Canada Movers, Roadway Moving and Storage Inc., SafeBound Moving and Storage Inc., Canadian Principal Movers, All You Can Move, Right on Track Moving, New Vision Moving, and Greenway Moving.
Police arrested two others with fraud charges
On June 24, Toronto police arrested Cemal Ozturk and Dogan Celik, who are both 30 years old, in connection with the moving scam after carrying out a search warrant at Bellamy Road and Progress Avenue in Scarborough, Ontario.
Police charged both Ozturk and Celik in relation to four counts of false pretense, four counts of fraud over $5,000, four counts of mischief over $5,000, four counts of possession of property obtained by crime, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
Both of the men appeared virtually at Toronto East Courts on June 24. Meanwhile, Jones appeared virtually at the same court on Wednesday morning.
Anyone who has lost their belongings as part of this scam can reach investigators at 416-808-4100, as police have recovered many of the items back.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.