Two people face multiple charges for theft, fraud and drugs after Nanaimo RCMP pulled over a vehicle yesterday.
Police pulled over a Pontiac Grand Am on Estevan Road near Poplar Street shortly before noon Tuesday and took two suspects into custody after following the suspects for a while.
Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said investigators took note of a man and a woman as they left the Money Maxx on Prideaux Street.
“They both entered a vehicle and the plates were reported as stolen…” O’Brien said. “It is alleged the driver had purchased pre-paid gift cards at Staples [Brooks Landing] using a stolen credit card and then used the gift cards at the Co-Op gas bar … so he was perpetuating various frauds throughout the city while driving while prohibited.”
Police arrested the driver, a 33-year-old Nanaimo man. for 13 counts of offences that included driving while prohibited to do so, breach of conditions from a previous offence, theft under $5,000 and fraud under $5,000.
He was in the company of a 24-year-old woman from Alberta who was also arrested for being in possession of a small quantity of drugs and for theft.
“She’s facing some drug charges on her own and she is also facing some fraud charges,” O’Brien said.
The car was stolen from the Nanaimo area, he said.
The suspects are expected to appear in provincial court in Nanaimo to be formally charged today, Sept. 26.
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