A 53 year-old male from Mississauga, Ontario is facing 21 charges, most of them relating to the fraudulent use of credit card information. Police investigators anticipate more charges will follow as they continue the investigation.
On September 3, 2015, patrol members were dispatched to a hotel in the 1700 block of Broad Street for a report of a commercial crime in progress. Hotel staff believed that a male, registered at the hotel, had used a fake credit card to book the room. Police did not locate the suspect in his room at the hotel but obtained a description and left word with staff to contact police should the suspect return. The next day, September 4, 2015, police were contacted by another downtown hotel, in the 1900 block of 11th Avenue, for a report of suspected fraudulent credit card use. The suspect was present in the hotel and was arrested by police. The investigation connected this suspect to the events of the previous day on Broad Street. Further investigation including searches of both rooms uncovered evidence to support numerous charges of fraudulent use of credit card information as well as a charge of identity theft.
Fifty-three year-old Ronnie Grant SINCLAIR, DOB: 1962-04-25, of Mississauga, Ontario is facing 21 charges in total:
- Eighteen charges of Unauthorized Use of Credit Card Data, section 342(3) CC;
- Two charges of Breach of Recognizance, section 145(3) CC; and
- One charge of Identity Theft, section 402.2(1) CC.
SINCLAIR made his first appearance in Provincial Court on Tuesday, September 8, 2015. He will be in court again this morning, Thursday, September 10, 2015.
This investigation is ongoing. Investigators have seized evidence that points to similar offenses in jurisdictions across Canada and it is anticipated that numerous additional charges will be laid. Investigators are in the process of contacting police in these other jurisdictions to further investigate these alleged offenses.
The Regina Police Service reminds members of the public to check credit card statements carefully. While people may choose to wait for a statement to arrive in the mail, they may also opt to check their credit card statements online, which allows for more frequent scrutiny. Anyone who notices what appears to be unauthorized use of their credit card should contact their local police service and then contact their credit card company.