Police: 2 Arrested, 1 Detained after ODSB Funds Stolen from Victims Ottawa Police Service (OPS) have arrested two individuals and detained a third in connection with the theft of Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSB) funds from vulnerable victims. On March 8, 2023, OPS received several reports from victims who had their ODSB funds stolen. After an investigation, detectives identified three suspects. On April 19, 2023, police executed search warrants at three separate residences in Ottawa. As a result, two individuals, 37-year-old Latisha Brown and 32-year-old Devon Smith, were arrested and charged with the following offenses: * Theft over $5,000 * Fraud over $5,000 * Possession of stolen property over $5,000 * Using a computer to commit an offense A third suspect, 29-year-old Jerome Wilson, was detained and is currently assisting police with their investigation. According to OPS, the investigation revealed that the suspects targeted vulnerable victims who had received large sums of money from the ODSB. The suspects allegedly befriended the victims and gained their trust, before convincing them to withdraw money from their accounts. Detective Constable Raj Patel of the OPS Fraud Unit praised the victims for reporting the thefts and assisting police with their investigation. He also urged members of the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity involving the elderly or vulnerable individuals. “We want to remind the community that these types of offenses are unacceptable,” said Det. Const. Patel. “We will continue to work tirelessly to protect our most vulnerable citizens and bring those responsible to justice.” The accused, Brown and Smith, appeared in court on April 20, 2023. They were released on bail with conditions. The investigation is ongoing, and further charges are anticipated.Two people have been arrested and one is pending arrest after victims’ welfare funds were allegedly stolen in downtown Toronto last month, police say.Two people have been arrested and one is pending arrest after victims’ welfare funds were allegedly stolen in downtown Toronto last month, police say. Toronto Police Service (TPS) said that on June 28, at approximately 12:20 p.m., they were called to the area of Wellesley and Jarvis streets for reports of a robbery. According to police, a man had just received his Ontario Disability Support Program benefits on a prepaid Visa card and had attempted to access his funds at a gas station convenience store. Investigators say a suspect approached the man and told him he had a gun, and took his prepaid Visa card. Police said no gun was seen. The victim demanded her card back and was unknowingly provided with a different card that had no funds on it, they said. Police assisted him when he attempted to withdraw funds. The suspect saw the victim enter his PIN code. The victim left the store when he was unable to get his money. The suspect then used the victim’s PIN to withdraw money from her card. “Further investigation revealed that multiple individuals were targeting ODSP clients,” TPS said. On July 12, the 51 Division Major Crimes Unit executed two Criminal Code search warrants for “items with evidentiary value.” They also arrested two men at that time. Wadia Khaled, 18, of Toronto, and Fadel Yazbak, of Mississauga, both 18, were arrested and charged with robbery with a firearm, conspiracy to commit a felony and concealment with intent. They were scheduled to appear at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on July 13. One suspect remains outstanding in the investigation: Munir Al Mhmmed, 21, of Toronto. He is wanted for robbery with an offensive weapon and conspiracy to commit a felony. Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are asking anyone who may have had a similar interaction with the suspects to contact Detective Patrick Homer at [email protected], Detective Sean Clendinning at [email protected], 416-808-5100 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.Two individuals have been arrested and one has been detained in connection with the theft of Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) funds from victims, police announced on Friday. Police began investigating after receiving reports in December 2022 that multiple victims had fallen victim to an employment scam. The fraudsters posed as OCDSB recruiters and contacted job seekers, requesting personal information and bank account details. Through their investigation, police identified three suspects. Two of them, a 32-year-old man from Toronto and a 26-year-old woman from Ottawa, were arrested on February 17th. They have been charged with fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime, and uttering forged documents. The third suspect, a 24-year-old man from Ottawa, was detained on February 16th. He faces similar charges as the other two suspects. The investigation revealed that the suspects had stolen over $100,000 from their victims, using the stolen funds for personal gain. They are scheduled to appear in court at a later date. The OCDSB and Ottawa Police Service are urging residents to be vigilant against employment scams. They recommend verifying the legitimacy of job offers and never providing personal information or bank account details to individuals claiming to be recruiters. If you believe you have been a victim of a job scam, you are encouraged to report it to the Ottawa Police Service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.