Separate bank fraud incidents results in two men charged

Windsor police cruiser at headquarters in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Melanie Kentner/CTV News Windsor)

Windsor police have arrested two men and laid 11 fraud-related charges after two separate incidents at local banks.

Officers responded to a report of a fraud in progress at a bank in the 3700 block of Tecumseh Road East shortly after 10 a.m. on Monday.

Police say they learned that a suspect attempted to open a bank account using fraudulent identification documents, including a passport and permanent resident card. When employees identified the documents as fraudulent, the suspect fled the area on foot.

Officers quickly located the suspect a short distance away and arrested him following a brief foot chase.

A 35-year-old man is charged with:

• Fraud under $5,000
• Uttering a forged document
• Possession of identity documents belonging to another person
• Uttering a forged passport
• Possession of a forged passport
• Failure to comply with a release order

About one hour later, at 11 a.m. on Monday, officers responded to a report of a similar fraud in progress at a bank in the 3800 block of Dougall Avenue.

Investigators determined that the suspect had used a fake passport to try to open a bank account. Officers arrested the suspect at the scene and seized the fraudulent passport as well as two fake permanent resident cards.

A 26-year-old man is charged with:

• Fraud under $5,000
• Uttering forged documents
• Possession of identity documents belonging to another person
• Uttering a forged passport
• Causing a person to act on a forged passport

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Windsor Police Financial Crimes Unit at 519-255-6700, ext. 4330. You can also contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or online at www.catchcrooks.com.