Four York Region men face multiple charges and almost $500,000 worth of stolen property has been recovered following a York Regional Police investigation into thefts occurring from golf courses in York, Durham and Waterloo regions and Simcoe County.
Three men from Keswick and one man from Vaughan are charged in connection with thefts and break and enters totalling more than $1 million, according to a York Regional Police news release.
On Wednesday, Oct. 16, seven Criminal Code search warrants were executed at residences and storage lockers in East Gwillimbury and Georgina, where a large amount of stolen property was recovered, including 18 golf carts worth almost $200,000, golf clubs valued over $100,000, rare Pokemon and Magic the Gathering trading cards worth approximately $10,000, and $20,000 worth of DeWalt construction tools, police said. More than two kilograms of suspected cannabis, 86 grams of psilocybin, 28 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia and Canadian currency was also seized, police said.
Andrew Skibinsky, 36, of Keswick is charged with:
- Trafficking in property obtained by crime
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
- Theft over $5,000 x5
- Possession of stolen property for the purpose of trafficking
- Mischief under $5,000 x3
- Break and enter
- Disguise with intent
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking – psilocybin
- Possession for the distribution – cannabis
- Possession of a weapon contrary to order
At the time of this offence, Skibinsky was bound by a lifetime weapons ban associated to previous unrelated charges, police said.
Damien Russell, 41, of Keswick is charged with:
- Trafficking in property obtained by crime x2
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
- Theft over $5,000 x5
- Possession of stolen property for the purpose of trafficking
- Mischief under $5,000 x3
William Johnston, 48, of Keswick is charged with:
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
- Possession of stolen property for the purpose of trafficking
- Possession of property obtained by crime
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine
Austin Parnell, 19, Vaughan is charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police #3 Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext.7341, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online.
