Charges dropped after 4 Edmonton-area landscape companies defrauded $70K

(File Photo)

EDMONTON -

A man from Edmonton had his charges dropped after a fraud investigation near St. Albert.

In early September, St. Albert RCMP began looking into a series of frauds involving four landscaping companies.

They had been defrauded of more than $70,000 worth of materials including 200,000 pounds of amour stone and outdoor lighting, RCMP said.

On Sept. 16, a search warrant was executed just outside of St. Albert near Big Lake at a private residence.

Police said the search yielded a commercial-sized lawnmower and most of the missing landscaping materials.

A man was arrested on the property and charged with five counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, possession of a forged document, possession of a stolen credit card, and possession of identity documents.

Charges were dropped in November 2022.