6 men arrested, 40-plus charges laid in $1.9 million GTA auto theft ring

Peel Regional Police have made six arrests and laid over 40 charges in an extensive auto-theft crime ring spanning the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) as authorities search for two other wanted men.

Police said on Thursday that Project Vinny began in September 2022. The nearly year-long investigation was in response to several vehicle thefts across Peel Region and the GTA.

Investigators confirmed some of the stolen vehicles were being “re-vinned,” fraudulently re-registered and illegally sold to members of the public. “Re-vinning” a car is the action of changing the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) from a stolen one to a legitimate one.

In all, police said six men were arrested, 42 charges were laid, and 22 vehicles at a value of $1.95 million were recovered. Those vehicles include 13 Land Rovers, two Porsches, five Dodge Rams, one Honda CRV and one Cadillac SRX.

Deputy Chief Marc Andrews said officers were able to link similar types of vehicle thefts in Peel and York Region that were believed to be carried out by the same group of suspects.

Suspects identified, charged

Robert Ramnarine, a 27-year-old man from Toronto, was charged with:

• 15 counts of utter forged documents

Gajan Karunanithy, a 32-year-old man from Brampton was charged with:

• Three counts of utter forged documents

Riaz Mohammed, a 23-year-old man from Brampton, was charged with:

• Five counts of possession of property obtained by crime

Van George Snjaqly, a 29-year-old man from Mississauga, was charged:

• Possession of property obtained by crime

Hapishan Sivasegaran, a 25-year-old man from Mississauga was charged with:

• Two counts of possession of property obtained by crime

Oneil Ricketts, a 36-year-old man from Toronto, was charged with:

• 12 counts of utter forged documents

Investigators continue to search for 39-year-old Calvin Peacock, who is wanted on two counts of possession of property obtained by crime, theft of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

Police said Peacock is known to arrange test drives for high-end vehicles listed for sale online by members of the public. In previous incidents, authorities said Peacock aggressively drove stolen vehicles toward victims, showing no concern for public safety.

Photo: Peel Regional Police.

Police are also hoping to identify a second man wanted in the case.

He’s described as having a medium complexion and is around five-foot-eight with a thin build, short black hair, a full beard and glasses. If seen, do not approach, and call the police immediately.

“Project Vinny is one of multiple successful auto theft investigations that PRP have dedicated efforts and resources towards,” said Deputy Chief Andrews.

“We want to send the clear message to individuals engaging in auto theft crime that we are more committed than ever in holding those responsible accountable.”