Over the past few years, there have been a number of incidents of ATMs being stolen across Saskatchewan. In December of 2022, the Prairie Sky Co-op C-Store at the intersection of Highways 39 and 13 was one of the locations targeted.
This past Friday, the Saskatchewan RCMP they had arrested two men in connection with the string of ATM and vehicle thefts among other crimes, which stretched from Tisdale in the north to Weyburn, Montmartre, Stoughton and Fillmore in the southeast, and Shaunavon in the southwest.
Officers from the RCMP made an arrest in March of this year near Saskatoon based on evidence collected at the crime scenes, including surveillance video.
“As our provincial police service, Saskatchewan RCMP is uniquely outfitted to make links between, and investigate, crimes in multiple jurisdictions,” said Inspector Ashley Levy, Saskatchewan RCMP’s Central District Operations Officer in a written release. “That’s exactly what happened in this case – Saskatoon RCMP took the lead in investigating a potential string of crimes, with the assistance of many other RCMP detachments and specialized units.”
The arrest of 58-year-old Wesley John of One Arrow First Nation didn’t end the investigation. RCMP determined more than 20 incidents were reported throughout the province, and they were all connected. The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at a home on One Arrow First Nation on August 1st, which resulted in the arrest of 49-year-old Kelly Almightyvoice.
The two suspects now face 24 counts of break and enter, 12 counts of possession of the proceeds of crime, and 14 counts of wearing a disguise while committing an offence each.
“I’m proud of the work of Saskatoon RCMP investigators and the many other police officers and staff from across the division who came together and were able to prove these crimes were connected – and identify the suspects,” added Insp. Levy. “Together, they have solved more than 20 property crimes that affected victims throughout Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction.”
John is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Saskatoon on Thursday, while Almightyvoice appeared in Saskatoon Provincial Court last Wednesday.