Toronto man facing 101 charges in connection with alleged auto-fraud
CTV
Police say a Toronto man is facing 101 charges in connection with an auto-fraud investigation.
Police say a Toronto man is facing 101 charges in connection with an auto-fraud investigation.
In a news release issued Saturday morning, Toronto police said it received information in July about a man committing what investigators described as “fraudulent” vehicle transfers at ServiceOntario locations.
Police said ServiceOntario assisted investigators, and it was found that the man was allegedly responsible for numerous vehicle-related frauds dating back to November 2023.
A search warrant was executed on Aug. 9 and Winkle Lejarde, 43, of Toronto, was arrested as a result, police said.
He’s facing 101 charges, including 15 counts of uttering forged documents, nine counts of fraud over $5,000, and nine counts of alter or remove a vehicle identification number.
Police believe there may be more victims and released an image of Lejarde as they announced his arrest.
“In order to protect against purchasing a stolen/re-vinned vehicle, it is recommended to always purchase and review a vehicle history report,” police said in a news release.
