The Southern Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit (SAD CRU) initiated an investigation into a series of break and enters and ATM thefts at businesses in Southern Alberta on Tuesday, March 1. With assistance from the Strathcona RCMP General Investigation Section (GIS), suspects were identified.
On Thursday, March 24, Oyen RCMP alerted SAD CRU of an early morning break and enter at the TD Bank where an explosion was used to gain access to the cash in the ATM machine. With the assistance of both the Hanna and Oyen RCMP, SAD CRU was able to locate three male suspects and three stolen vehicles at a hotel in Hanna.
Kevin Sider, 42, of Leduc, Robert Foster, 41, of Big Valley, and Leslie Asachuk, 34, of Mirror, were arrested and taken into custody.
SAD CRU searched the stolen vehicles and executed two search warrants on the suspect’s rooms with the assistance of the Central Alberta District Crime Unit (CAD CRU), Hanna and Oyen RCMP.
Over $130,000 in Canadian currency, a stolen Dodge Ram from Fort McLeod, a stolen Dodge Durango and stolen Dodge Ram from Rosetown, Saskatchewan, along with break and enter tools, including an improvised explosive device (IED) used in the Oyen ATM theft, and various other stolen items were seized.
Sider, Foster, and Asachuk have been charged with break and enter to a business, mischief to property causing damage, explosion of an explosive device causing damage to property, laundering proceeds of crime, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, possession of break-in instruments, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
Sider and Foster are further charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
At the time of their arrest, Sider and Asachuk also had outstanding warrants for their arrest.
The three were held for Judicial Interim Release hearings; Sider was remanded into custody and will appear in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday, April 22; Foster was remanded into custody and will appear in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday, April 8. Asachuk was released on a release order with conditions and will appear in provincial court in Hanna on Wednesday, April 27.
SAD CRU continues to investigate. Anyone with information related to these ATM thefts is asked to contact their local RCMP. If you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), by Internet at www.tipsubmit.com or by SMS (check your local Crime Stoppers www.crimestoppers.ab.ca for instructions).
