3 Ont. men charged with thefts of dozens of Ford F-150 trucks in Edmonton

Three men from Ontario have been charged by Edmonton police in connection to dozens of Ford F-150 thefts. 

The trio are accused of theft of motor vehicle, possession of stolen property over $5,000, and possession of break-in instruments:

• Michael Pohlod, 34;
• Harshdeep Binner, 23; and
• Riyasad Singh, 22. 

Seven of 40 trucks stolen during the course of Edmonton Police Service's investigation have been recovered, EPS said in a statement Wednesday. 

Police continue to investigate. 

WHY F-150S? 

Police issued a warning to the public in late February after more than a dozen 2018, 2019 and 2020 models were stolen over a two-day period. They said the thieves were using "sophisticated technology" to bypass Ford's anti-theft system. 

A security expert suggested the thefts were happening in one of two ways: either by boosting the signal of a nearby factory key fob and making the truck think it was being started, or with a tool that tricks the truck into thinking a new key is being programmed for it. 

The F-150s are in high demand both as a popular vehicle and because of worldwide chip shortages.

• More than a dozen Ford F150 trucks stolen throughout Edmonton over 2 days: EPS
• Auto security expert explains how thieves are stealing Ford F-150s in Edmonton, and why
• Vehicle thefts on the rise, but string of F-150 thefts 'an anomaly': expert