Four suspects are facing charges after police recovered more than $500,000 worth of stolen property related to a rash of break-and-enters at several southern Ontario golf courses.
Thefts were reported at golf courses in the York, Durham, and Waterloo regions as well as in Simcoe County, York Regional Police said in an Oct. 22 press release.
An investigation launched in August led to the identification of four suspects who are believed to be responsible for the theft of goods valued at more than $1 million.
Police recovered more than $500,000 worth of goods after a string of thefts from Ontario golf courses. York Regional Police photo
Officers executed seven search warrants on Oct. 16 at various storage lockers and residences in East Gwillimbury and the town of Georgina.
“A large quantity of stolen property was recovered,” police said.
Police seized 18 golf carts worth nearly $200,000, golf clubs valued at more than $100,000, rare Pokemon and Magic the Gathering trading cards worth approximately $100,000 and $20,000 worth of DeWalt construction tools.
Officers also confiscated more than two kilograms of cannabis, 86 grams of psilocybin, 28 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and an unspecified amount of Canadian currency.
Three men from Keswick, Ont., and a 19-year-old male from Vaughan have been charged in connection with the golf course thefts.
Andrew Skibinsky, 36, faces 16 charges including nine related to the thefts, three mischief charges, two drug charges and a weapons charge. Skibinsky was already bound by a lifetime weapons ban linked to previous unrelated charges.
Damien Russell, 41, is charged with seven offences related to theft and three pertaining to mischief while 48-year-old William Johnston faces one drug trafficking charge and two charges related to the stolen goods.
Nineteen-year-old Austin Parnell faces one count of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
Police are asking anyone with information about the thefts to contact them or Crime Stoppers.
Commercial break and enters are on an upswing, rising 12 percent year-over-year between 2022 and 2023, according to York Regional Police stats. Thefts, not including stolen vehicles or shoplifting, rose 17 percent in the same time period while trafficking and possession of stolen goods is up 18 percent.
