Six men have been charged by Edmonton police after authorities allege they intentionally damaged vehicles during private sales to get people to then sell them for reduced prices.
The six men are facing a combined total of 33 charges, including mischief over $5,000, uttering a forged document and fraud over $5,000.
Constantin Dumitru, 26, Tiberius Grigore, 34, Cosmin Mustata, 26, Remus Rafaila, 32, Orlando Turcan, 24, and Florin Constantin, 39, have all been charged.
The charges follow the execution of a search warrant by Edmonton Police in October at a residence related to multiple traffic complaints.
Nine vehicles connected to the residence were seized.
By speaking with previous owners of the vehicles, police said they learned they had been fraudulently purchased and determined the suspects used “distraction style tactics” to damage the vehicles or make them appear seriously damaged during sales. Police said typically a group of two or three men would arrive for the sale.
“Often, when the buyers arrive, they are very animated, tell sellers they are siblings (one of whom is desperate for transportation), and will try to send the seller into their home to get an item or distract the seller’s attention, during which they tamper with or damage the vehicle,” said Const. Shiva Shunmugam. “The buyers may then claim to call a mechanic, who confirms the damage and the high price to fix the vehicle, as a means of intimidating the seller to sell it for a lower price.”
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Edmonton Police said in a news release the group would then point out an issue, such as a damaged head gasket or engine oil leak into the coolant reservoir, to put forward a case to lower the price.
In some cases, police said the men would argue with sellers for up to two hours before finally coercing the seller to “significantly” lower the price. In each case, police said the vehicles did not previously have any of the issues raised by the accused buyer and his associates.
Police said in some instances the suspects tried to force cash into the seller’s hand, asked to keep the licence plate or drove away with the plate before the seller could remove it.
Officers said they believe many of the vehicles were later allegedly registered with forged documents that included lower odometer readings in order to commit additional offences.
Edmonton was not the only place the vehicles were purchased, with police saying it occurred in Calgary, Leduc, Sherwood Park and Thorsby “to avoid raising suspicion.”
At least 13 complainants have been identified to date. Police are encouraging the public to come forward if they have any additional complaints related to the case. They have released the photos of Dumitru, Mustata, Turcan and Constantin, who police say remain with provincewide warrants.
As the investigation continues, police are also reminding people to remain cautious and consider all available options if selling a vehicle, including not selling if you’re uncomfortable dealing with the buyer. People should also be wary of claims of serious mechanical issues with the vehicle if they have no previous knowledge of it, or if the vehicle was recently checked and no concerns were found.
Anyone with information about the location of the suspects is asked to contact Edmonton police at 780-423-4567 or #377 on a mobile phone. Anonymous tips can also be sent to Crime Stoppers.
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