Police have laid more than 160 charges against a man in his 20s, after investigators found he had allegedly stolen the identities of a number of different people not only in Edmonton and Alberta, but as far away as Newfoundland.
It’s alleged the male suspect – who had reportedly used up to 22 different aliases – was believed to have in his possession a number of forged documents, including birth certificates, driver’s licenses, health care cards, marriage certificates, and credit cards – and equipment used to make them.
On Feb. 22, police executed a search warrant at a home in the area of 101 Avenue and 121 Street.
Inside, officers found documents from about 120 different people and businesses that had allegedly been targeted by the suspect.
In some cases, police said the suspect had simply changed the picture on a stolen piece of identification.
As a result, Nathan David Crone, 27, is facing a total of 164 charges, including possession of a controlled substance, possession of stolen property, forgery, intent to obtain property and obtaining and possessing identity information.
It’s believed there could be more victims.
“They said simply that it was just lost,” EPS Detective Rob Chan said. “You know, they just lost their wallet and didn’t think anything of it.”
According to police, the best defence against identity theft is to report lost or stolen cards and documents as soon as they are missing.
Police are asking anyone who believes their identity may have been stolen is asked to call the Edmonton Police Service non-emergency line at 780-423-4567, or #377 on a mobile phone.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Crone is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
