The RCMP has issued a public appeal for information to help locate a suspect after an investigation in Sturgeon County led to the recovery of $380,000 in stolen property and charges against two men.
On July 23, Morinville RCMP members searched a rural property near Twp. Rd. 570 and Range Rd. 241, following a police investigation. The day before, Westlock RCMP had originally received a complaint of a stolen Kenworth semi truck and trailer loaded with two sea cans with industrial chemicals along with a bobcat skid steer.
With the assistance of RCMP K Division's auto theft unit, Morinville officers executed a search warrant. They recovered several stolen items, including the bobcat skid steer, one large sea can container, an ATV, a snowmobile, a John Deere riding mower, a holiday trailer, a cargo trailer and a utility trailer.
RCMP also located several unsecured firearms, one of which was loaded.
The stolen property totalled approximately $130,000.
RCMP have charged Curtis Sear of Sturgeon County with possessing stolen property over $5,000, along with several firearms offences. Sear has been remanded into custody and will appear in Morinville court on July 30.
As a result of that investigation, Morinville RCMP, K Division's auto theft unit, ALERT Auto Theft and K Division's crime reduction unit conducted a second search on July 24 at a residential property in the Northern Lights subdivision at 26023 Twp. Rd. 544.
Officers recovered a second sea can, along with six large barrels of an industrial chemical, three high-end stolen vehicles and two stolen ATVs. They also recovered an unlawful firearm.
The stolen property recovered from this search totalled approximately $250,000.
RCMP have charged Jonathan Borle of Sturgeon County with possessing stolen property over $5,000, various firearms offences and breach of probation. A warrant has been issued for Borle's arrest.
The RCMP issued a public appeal on June 26 for any information that could help locate Borle. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Morinville RCMP at 780-939-4520. If you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), by internet at www.tipsubmit.com, or by SMS.
