Four men face numerous charges after a theft and fraud investigation that spanned nearly two years, and involved a raid at a Pitt Meadows property police characterized as a 'fraud factory.'
A total of 48 charges have been approved against four men in relation to a 2023 Burnaby RCMP Prolific Offender Suppression Team (POST) investigation.
In April, 2023, Burnaby RCMP’s POST executed a search warrant at a property in 17600-block of Kennedy Road in Pitt Meadows. During the search, police located two excavators, two industrial printers capable printing driver's licenses, and allege various indicators the location was being used as what police called "an organized fraud factory."
Police alleged the excavators and a generator valued at more than $215,000 were purchased fraudulently from a Burnaby business.
They also seized numerous printers, hard drives, network storage, laser engravers, a VIN plate stamping machine and modifying tools, hundreds of fraudulent identification cards and blank identification cards, blank bank draft paper, and a handgun with ammunition.
On Jan. 8, 2025, the BC Prosecution Service approved 48 charges against four men, Joel Ellingson (50), Kelly Roberge (54), Wesley Lawson (33), and Michael Ridley (37).
The men are facing, collectively, a total of 19 counts alleging 48 charges, including:
• theft over $5,000
• possession of stolen property over $5,000
• identity theft
• tampering with a vehicle identification number
• possession of identity fraud documents
• illegal use of credit card data
• falsifying credit cards
• forgery
• personation
“Identity theft and fraud can have serious and long-lasting impacts on victims,” said Cpl. Mike Kalanj with the Burnaby RCMP. “We believe disrupting and dismantling this operation likely prevented additional people from becoming victims.”
