Police seeking four suspects after investigation into auto cloning ring

After a yearlong investigation into vehicle cloning in Calgary, police have issued arrest warrants for four people.

In January, police executed a search warrant at Auto Detailing Specialists, located at 316 36th Ave. N.E., where they seized six stolen vehicles worth $730,000 and 119 grams of methamphetamine worth $10,000. Sgt. Graeme Smiley of the Calgary police district support unit said it was a significant auto-theft bust.

“This is yet another example of how complex auto theft fraud investigations can be,” said Smiley. “These offenders took significant steps to evade detection and disguise stolen vehicles, which resulted in an extensive amount of evidence that required review.”

Investigators said the suspects used fake identification and bank cards to buy vehicles or stole keys during test drives before returning to the dealership at a later date to complete the theft.

Vehicles were then sold under new vehicle identification numbers, likely through second-hand sellers like Kijiji, or to other criminals.

Smiley said the auto shop, which blends easily into its surroundings, was a cover for criminal activity and no retail operation was in place.

Calgary police spent time between October and January collecting evidence to move forward with a search warrant after finding similarities to investigations underway by their Edmonton counterparts.

Following the seizure, Smiley said the police service evaluated the evidence and was then able to lay charges.

“It’s a lot of time-consuming work, so, for example, reviewing closed-circuit television footage or reviewing very lengthy banking information. These are very time-consuming, detail-oriented tasks for our investigators,” he said.

It’s estimated $1.73 million worth of stolen or cloned vehicles were sold for about $575,000 in cash.

Sherwin Hadji-latiph Mendoza, 38, of Edmonton and three Calgary residents — Kathleen Marie Jackson, 32, Jason Joseph Buckley, 46, and Ashley Marie Myshrall, 33 — are all facing theft and trafficking charges.