Unidentified Offender Remains on the Run in Connection with Alberta Casino ATM Heist
In a significant development, four individuals from Edmonton have been charged in connection with a coordinated ATM fraud scheme that targeted casinos in Western Canada. The suspects, Elliot Miao (42), Van Bau Ta (39), Dennis Jones (42), and Hassan Jaafar Haydar Ahmad (37), appeared in the Alberta Court of Justice in Edmonton last week [1][2][3].
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Federal Policing Northwest Region led the investigation, which uncovered evidence of fraud and money laundering. The scheme involved withdrawing large sums of cash to evade detection and exploit financial institutions [1][2][3].
The suspicious activity was untangled at casino-based ATMs across the Edmonton area. The investigation also involved seven casinos in the Edmonton region, according to the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) site [1][2].
The AGLC is committed to preventing, detecting, and deterring money laundering and terrorist financing activities in the gaming sector. The AGLC's casino policies mandate stringent surveillance requirements, which contributed to the early detection of suspicious behavior [1][2].
However, the RCMP statement did not name the Edmonton casinos specifically. The charges against the four suspects include fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime, and money laundering [1][2][3].
In a related development, Elliot Miao was also charged with possession of a classified substance for the purpose of trafficking [1].
Unfortunately, a fifth individual, Hisham Ismaeel (28) from Alberta, is still at large. He is charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime, and his charges are related to the coordinated ATM fraud in western Canadian casinos [1].
The high-value withdrawals triggered service disruptions at ATMs across Western Canada, resulting in a net financial loss of more than $1 million [1][2]. The AGLC, the Edmonton Police Service, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, and various financial institutions contributed to the investigation [1][2].
Sources: [1] CBC News. (2022, March 15). Four charged in coordinated ATM fraud scheme at Edmonton casinos. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/four-charged-in-coordinated-atm-fraud-scheme-at-edmonton-casinos-1.6399969 [2] Edmonton Journal. (2022, March 15). Four charged in coordinated ATM fraud scheme at Edmonton casinos. Retrieved from https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/four-charged-in-coordinated-atm-fraud-scheme-at-edmonton-casinos [3] Global News. (2022, March 15). Four charged in coordinated ATM fraud scheme at Edmonton casinos. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/8780064/four-charged-in-coordinated-atm-fraud-scheme-at-edmonton-casinos/
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