This wild shopping spree went on for months with no end in sight.
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The thieves took whatever they wanted, whenever and wherever they wanted, and there was not a thing anybody could do to stop them.
Until now.
Turns out the booze, groceries, shoes and clothing they were getting for free were not free after all. Neither are some of the 65 accused thieves gathered up in Peel Regional Police’s Project Filcher retail theft bust, some of whom allegedly violated release conditions, as they face a combined 545 criminal charges.
Oh, to see the looks on some of their faces.
“Some of them were surprised when they were arrested,” said Peel police deputy chief Marc Andrews. “They were so used to getting away with it that they were not expecting to be caught.”
Which is why he said this project was so important. As Andrews said, there has to be a message sent to those who commit these crimes that police, the courts and the community care that something is done about it.
🛍️ Over 500 Charges Laid in Retail Theft Investigation
— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) May 21, 2026
Project Filcher was a complex and targeted investigation combatting repeated offenders across Brampton and Mississauga. The results?
✅ 65 arrests
✅ 545 charges laid
✅ 350+ theft incidents investigated solved
✅ $250,000+… pic.twitter.com/zZh3OnTYww
Message sent
Many of them got the message.
“Investigators with Peel Regional Police’s 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau have arrested dozens of prolific offenders and laid more than 500 charges in an ongoing retail theft investigation targeting businesses across Brampton and Mississauga,” Peel police said Thursday at a news conference.
But as outlined by Peel cops, they sure did some damage first:
— Over a quarter-million dollars worth of stolen merchandise;
— More than 350 retail theft incidents between February and April;
— Retail theft charges laid between January and March rose from 522 in 2024 to 1,076 in 2025 to 1,300 in 2026, an increase of 149% from 2024 to 2026;
— Retail arrests made between January and March rose from 223 in 2024 to 560 in 2025 to 752 in 2026, an increase of 237% from 2024 to 2026.
“Through proactive, intelligence-led policing and strong partnerships with retailers, our officers have disrupted criminal activity and made our communities safer,” said Andrews. “Organized retail theft is not a victimless crime because it drives up costs, impacts livelihoods and undermines public safety.”
Project Flicher: 65 Retail Thieves Arrested
— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) May 21, 2026
🔗 WATCH LIVE @ 1:30PM: https://t.co/q1uWdlLcQ2 pic.twitter.com/BgK52kc5rr
Organized crime met with organized response
There is an organized crime element involved with this as well. The stuff stolen often ended up being resold for a profit. This was part of the reason it was such a bad winter for thefts. It was an epidemic.
Peel police said “between February and April, Project Filcher focused on retailers experiencing a significant surge in thefts, including Nike, LCBO, Winners and Walmart.”
But a special investigative project was implemented. And it got results.
“Through a co-ordinated, intelligence-led investigation, officers identified and located repeat offenders believed to be responsible for a substantial number of these incidents,” said Peel cops.
The charges have not been tested in court. Project Filcher was supported through the Community Safety and Policing Grant, provided by the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General. But this project is not over. Andrews said there will be more arrests.
The videos Andrews and his team released to the public show the blatant disregard these alleged criminals had for the retail outlets they were stealing from and their lack of fear of being caught.
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Premier Ford government grant
But with the help of the Doug Ford provincial government, they put a plan in place to try to even things up and take away the open road the thieves were taking advantage of.
“Organized retail theft threatens the safety of workers, businesses and communities, which is why our government is proud to support investigations like Project Filcher through the Community Safety and Policing Grant,” said Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “This operation is another example of our plan to protect Ontario by giving police the tools and resources they need to crack down on repeat offenders, hold criminals accountable and keep communities safe.”
The key now is to not only make sure those who are convicted do some serious jail time, but also let it be known that there will be a zero-tolerance approach to this kind of crime spree going forward.
“Project Filcher demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding offenders accountable and protecting businesses in our community,” said Andrews.
No more free lunches, shoes, booze or designer clothing. At least for now.
Charge sheet from Project Filcher:
1. Nicholas KLUEY, 31, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x13 • Fail to Comply with Release Order
2. Rochelle WOLFE, 29, of Barrie • Theft Under $5,000 x2
3. Candida CLAUSER, 47, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x3
4. Basil ASS’AD, 21, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x5
5. Aurelian Alexandro DRAGAN, 37, of Toronto • Theft Under $5,000
6. Diana-Georgiana DRAGAN-MANDOIU, 28, of Toronto • Theft Under $5,000
7. Samantha SOMERS, 38, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x3
8. Awil Hassan ADBI, 40, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x12 • Theft Over $5,000 x2 • Robbery x1 • Breach of Probation Order x31
9. Logan LAL, 31, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x8 • Break and Enter Commit
10. Ryan WILLIAMS, 39, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x13 • Fail to Comply with Undertaking • Fail to Comply with Probation x2 • Breach of Probation
11. Yousouf HAJJAR, 38, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x2
12. Amir NIKBAKHT, 41, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x7
13. Heaven MCFARLANE, 26, of Brampton • Theft Under $5,000 x15 • Fail to Comply with Undertaking
14. Rachel MILLER, 32, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x10 • Fail to Comply with Undertaking • Fail to Comply with Release Order • Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000 • Theft Conversion • Obstruct • Mischief Over • Break and Enter Commit x4
15. Yosif YAKOOB, 26, of No Fixed Address • Robbery
16. Gregory KNIGHT, 57, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
17. Amandeep SANDHAWALIA, 33, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
18. Jaydon HILL, 19, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x6 • Fail to Comply with Release Order x2 • Fail to Comply with Undertaking
19. Candida CLAUSER, 47, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x4
20. Roshanbir SINGH, 27, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
21. Peter ARSENAULT, 36, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x4 • Assault with a Weapon x4 • Assault • Utter Threats x2
22. Logan LAL, 31, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
23. Kevin PARTINGTON, 47, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x5 • Break and Enter x2 • Mischief Under $5,000
24. Sukwinder SINGH, 28, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000
25. Jeremiah PATZAN, 35, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x3
26. Christopher NOEL, 40, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x13 • FTC Release Order x16 • Aggravated Assault x1 • Weapons Dangerous x1 • Robbery x1 • Assault with a Weapon x1
27. Keith RUDDERHAM, 42, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x18 • Fail to Comply with Probation Order x10
28. Celestine RUBEN, 57, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x4
29. Peter SAWYER, 44, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x15 • Fail to Comply with Undertaking • Assault with a Weapon • Assault • Obstruct Peace Officer • Mischief Over
30. Rakesh BADRINARAYN, 42, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x5
31. Domenico IOZZO, 51, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 • Obstruct Peace Officer
32. Vanessa RUPERTO, 32, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
33. Kenneth MARCHE, 46, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
34. Courtney NODWELL-ARSENAULT, 31 of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x10 • Fail to Comply Undertaking • Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
35. Andrew SNOW, 40 of Burlington • Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
36. Julie DUCKWORTH, 59, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x5
37. Christopher RYAN, 48, of No Fixed Address • Possession of Property Obtained by Crime • Break and Enter
38. Brittany QUARESMA, 30, of Mississauga • Unlawfully in Dwelling
39. Christopher FORTIN, 32, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x2
40. David Wayne COLLINS, 44, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x4 • Fail to Comply with Probation Order x4
41. Danny Bowen, 37, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x8 • Breach of Probation Order x8
42. Artur ZIELINSKA, 32 of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x3 • Possession of a Controlled Substance
43. Maksym KOVALYSHIN, 31, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000
44. Cassandra STENGEL, 30, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x5
45. Mandeep TOOR, 48, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x4 • Breach of Probation Order x8
46. Danny STUCKEY, 56, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
47. Mikhail BENJAMIN, 37, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x2
48. Mark ALDERSON, 45, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x21 • Fail to Comply with Release Order x18
49. Brittany QUARESMA, 30, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5000 • Possession of a Controlled Substance
50. James WHELLER, 55, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x8 • Fail to Comply with Undertaking x12
51. Brandon WADE, 34, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x5 • Fail to Comply with Release Order
52. Candida CLAUSER, 47, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
53. Patricia McNEIL, 55, of No Fixed Address • Fail to Comply with Undertaking • Fail to Comply with Release Order
54. Michelle DEARLING, 39, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000
55. Josh DORMADY, 64, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
56. Janette MAGIERA, 51, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
57. Lorena SANCHEZ, 42, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000
58. Wayne SHERMAN, 61, of Mississauga • Possession of Property Obtained by Crime • Operation while Impaired
59. Jay SPURGEON, 54, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000
60. Logan LAL, 31, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x4 • Fail to Comply Undertaking x4
61. Jagdish SINGH, 31, of No Fixed Address • Theft Under $5,000 x14
62. Tammam CHAKALLI, 36, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 x6
63. David ELLIS, 41, of Vaughan • Theft Under $5,000 x8
64. Rishi BHATT, 49, of Mississauga • Theft Under $5,000 • Possession of Property Obtained by Crime x7 • Breach of Probation Order x2 • Possession of Counterfeit Mark x6 • Flight from Peace Officer
65. Machel JOHNSON, 23, of Toronto • Theft Under $5,000 x31 • Fail to Comply with Probation Order x31