RCMP charged Rajneel Prasad, 38, from Vancouver after recovering 10 stolen skid steers and two mini excavators valued at $837,231. He is wanted by police and they ask for public tips to locate him.
Prasad is charged with 19 offences, including eight counts each of theft over $5,000 and impersonation, as well as three counts of removing a VIN from vehicles. RCMP say they expect to lay another 38 charges against Prasad.
RCMP recovered property stolen from businesses between Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and Airdrie, Alta., and Langley, B. C., after a business owner in Rocky View County contacted them on Sept. 12 saying they suspected stolen property may be stored in their rental units.
Search warrants were executed, which resulted in the recovery of four skid steers and a stolen F350 pickup truck. Affected businesses between Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and Airdrie were identified all of whom had been the victim of fraudulently rented heavy equipment, some of which remained unrecovered.
Stolen equipment stored in Rocky View County
With help of the affected businesses, investigators tracked more equipment to a job site in Langley, B.C. Another search warrant was obtained and with the assistance of Langley RCMP, two more mini excavators and a skid steer were recovered.
Stolen property recovered in Langley, B.C.
The investigation revealed the theft of this equipment was part of a larger organized theft scheme perpetrated by a habitual property offender active between B.C. and Alberta.
The pattern of theft involved use of stolen identities with fraudulently obtained credit to rent equipment from area dealers. In this series the suspect went to the businesses in a black F350 pickup truck with a trailer, or would attempt to rent a trailer at the time of pickup. After the fraudulent rental, the VIN numbers would be damaged or removed, and installed tracking devices were removed. Some of the equipment was stored awaiting sale while some had already been sold elsewhere as evidenced by the recovery of stolen property in Langley B.C.
In total, 10 skid steers and two mini excavators were stolen with a total estimated value of $837,231. Of these thefts five skid steers and two mini excavators were recovered valuing an estimated $577,105.
“I’d like to thank the business owners and members of the public who assisted in this investigation. It is a good example of how reporting suspicious activity can lead to the substantial recovery of stolen items and ability to lay charges on those responsible,” said Staff Sergeant Mark Wielgosz, Detachment Commander Strathmore RCMP.
If you have any information in relation to this matter, the whereabouts of Rajneel Prasad, or any other offences, you are asked to contact the Strathmore RCMP at 403-934-3968 or your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.
