59 arrested, 300-plus charges laid in $14M auto theft investigation allegedly involving ServiceOntario employees

Toronto police have arrested more than 50 people and laid more than 300 charges as part of an ongoing investigation aimed at dismantling auto theft rings across the GTA.

Officials said that since July 2024, investigators working with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) uncovered a scheme involving registering phony Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) by employees of a ServiceOntario location. The employees are alleged to have knowingly used fake documents provided by the accused parties to make it look like the fake VINs were valid. Real Ontario licence plates were then assigned to these VINs and those vehicles were then sold to unsuspecting buyers at a significant discount.

Investigators say since the launch of Project Thoroughbred, more than 360 stolen luxury and non-luxury vehicles valued at more than $14 million have been recovered.

The investigation has so far resulted in the arrest of 59 people who are facing 302 charges, including numerous counts of using forged documents and possession of stolen property.

None of the ServiceOntario employees alleged to be involved have been arrested at this time, but police said, “They will be.”

“These arrests and recoveries represent only a part of our commitment to reducing auto theft in Toronto,” said Police Chief Myron Demkiw.

“While auto thefts in Toronto have declined by 21 per cent compared to this time in 2023, the problem persists particularly as it relates to carjackings.”

Police said the investigation also uncovered the existence of “chop shops” across the city, where the stolen vehicles were dismantled and prepared for shipment overseas.

Officials say they have recovered stolen vehicles from shipping containers destined for overseas locations. In partnership with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), one shipping container containing stolen vehicles was located in Belgium and those vehicles are being sent back to Canada.

City Councillor Josh Matlow was on hand to speak about a motion he put forth earlier this year calling on both the provincial and federal governments to work together to combat auto thefts in Toronto, including asking the federal government to work with the auto and tech sectors to try to prevent criminals from not only stealing cars in the first place but then selling them on the black market.

“Imagine if there was identifiers on every single part of every one of these cars to make it more difficult to sell them on the black market without a unique fingerprint on them to know where they came from,” said Matlow.

“While yes, criminals need to be arrested the more that we make it difficult if not impossible for cars to be stolen in the first place, the more that we are protecting our residents. I don’t want anyone ever again to go to bed worried about the safety of their family or if they’re going to lose their car.”

Also on Friday, the Ford government unveiled legislation that would see anyone who knowingly provides a false VIN when applying for a vehicle permit face up to six months in jail, a $100,000 fine and a one-year driver’s licence suspension.

“Our government is proud to fund investigations like Project Thoroughbred that put a dent in auto theft. We continue to support projects like this one to keep our streets and communities safe,” Graham McGregor, the Associate Minister of Auto Theft and Bail Reform, said in a statement.