Fourth person arrested, more than 260 additional charges laid in moving companies scam

A fourth person has now been arrested while three others already in custody are facing more than 260 additional charges in connection with a fraud investigation involving multiple moving companies.

In June, Toronto police arrested Cemal Ozturk and Dogan Celik following an investigation into moving scams involving a number of budget moving companies.

Police allege that when customers contacted one of the several moving companies operated by the suspects, they were given low quotes to move their belongings. After the moving company loaded the customers belongings they were then presented with a contract to sign that contained no final price.

The customers were later contacted by an employee of the moving company with a revised invoice that was thousands of dollars more than what they were originally quoted. The customers were then told if they did not pay the full invoice, their property would be sold or disposed of.

In some cases, police say, some or all of the customers property was stolen or disposed of by employees and/or owners of the company.

Police executed search warrant on two warehouses in June near Bellamy Road North and Progress Avenue where they found all of the belongings separated by family.

RELATED: Toronto police bust brazen moving scam, recover property belonging to 22 families

Ozturk and Celik were initially charged with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and 22 counts each of false pretense, fraud over $5,000, mischief over $5,000, and possession of property obtained by crime.

A third person, 27-year-old Amethyst Jones, turned herself into police one day after Ozturk and Celik were arrested and was charged with the same offences.

In an update on Saturday, police said a fourth individual was arrested in connection to the case. Agatha Small, 55, has been charged with mischief interfere with property over $5,000, theft over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit and indictable offence.

As well, police say Ozturk, Celik and Jones are now facing an additional 263 charges related to the moving scams.

“Toronto Police would like to inform the public that all customer property has been identified and returned to the rightful owners and thanks the public for their assistance,” police said in a statement.

The accused in the case operated under various moving company names, including: 12282569 Canada Inc., 13448037 Canada Inc., O’Canada Movers, Roadway Moving and Storage Inc., SafeBound Moving and Storage Inc., Canadian Principal Movers, All You Can Move, Right on Track Moving, New Vision Moving, Greenway Moving, Move Me Again Transportation Inc., All Over Canada Van Lines Inc., East Coast Star Van Lines Inc., and Moonstar Van Lines Inc.

Files from Nick Westoll were used in this report