Police have charged a suspect in a series of fraudulent crimes in Hope.
Hope RCMP received a report of a theft of a wallet from a vehicle near Sequoia Creek Road on Sept. 9. There were no suspects or witnesses to the theft. The victim provided information of two fraudulent credit card purchases, one of which was at the Silver Chalice Liqour Store.
A diligent employee provided information leading police to believe the suspect was associated to a U-Haul rental vehicle.
Hope RCMP located the vehicle, and found it had been rented fraudulently using a false identification.
The vehicle was seized by police and examined by the Integrated Forensic Identification Services. Through the forensic examination and an exhaustive investigation by the Hope RCMP, a suspect was identified. A search warrant was conducted on the suspect's residence and police located various items believed to be stolen.
Among the items were hundreds of credit cards and other personal information.
"Identity and credit card frauds are crimes that can put peoples' lives in a tail spin," said Staff Sergent Suki Manj. "The tenacious work by the members of the Hope RCMP on this investigation has likely saved many citizens from further victimization."
Curtis Macintosh, 29, has been charged with possession of stolen property over $5000 and currently remains in custody.