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By Chris Brown

$200,000 in property recovered, 63 firearms

Taber suspects charged with firearms trafficking and other stolen property crimes

Oct 7, 2020 | 8:59 AM

TABER, AB – ALERT investigators recovered more than $200,000 worth of stolen property and recovered 63 firearms in Taber last month.

“ALERT was successful in disrupting a group of individuals who were impacting rural communities with thefts and property crime offences,” said ALERT CEO Supt. Dwayne Lakusta. “We will continue to work with our policing partners and Crown prosecutors to ensure these individuals are held accountable.”

ALERT’s Southeast Alberta Property Crime Unit partnered with Taber Police Service, Taber RCMP and Medicine Hat Police Service on the investigation, which began on July 15.

Five people face a total of 76 offences, including criminal charges such as trafficking stolen property, trafficking firearms, possession of proceeds of crime and fraud.

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The group is suspected to be involved with break-and-enters and vehicle thefts Taber, Vauxhall, Lethbridge, Stirling, Vulcan, Bow Island, Seven Persons, Coaldale and Barnwell.

“Widespread theft like this has a huge impact on community safety, especially in rural communities. It shakes the sense of security among victims,” said Insp. Sean Boser, ALERT Regional teams, during a news conference at Medicine Hat Police Service headquarters this morning.

Investigators have spent the past several weeks cataloguing the stolen property and attempting to reunite items with their rightful owners. The stolen property included:

• seven vehicles;
• a utility trailer;
• license plates;
• lawnmowers;
• compressors;
• generators;
• power tools.

ALERT also believes the suspects were involved in firearms trafficking. Along with the 63 firearms officers also seized about 60 disassembled firearms and parts, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

“Any time that firearms are sold illegally there can be an impact to the community and public safety and our job is public safety and if we can curb that activity through this type of investigation I think that’s a positive,” said Taber Police Chief Graham Abela. “Unfortunately, guns in the wrong hands kill people, and by taking these guns out of circulation we may have removed them from some of the hands that may do that.”

The five suspects arrested and charged are all from Taber.

• Jason Pizzati, 46
• Cornelius Wolf, 38
• Dustyn McCracken, 20
• Greg Kosowan, 72
• Heinrich Wolf, 35.

The individuals were previously known to police in southern Alberta.

Dustyn McCracken is still being sought, while the other four have been arrested. Jason Pizzati remains in custody.

ALERT’s Southeast Alberta Property Crime Unit launched at the beginning of April 2020, with its creation attributable to new funding provided by the Alberta Government. The joint forces initiative is aimed at tackling regional property crime.

Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous. Medicine Hat residents can also submit tips anonymously through the Medicine Hat Police Service mobile app, which is free to download and available for both Apple and Android devices.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

Image from ALERT

Image from ALERT

Image from ALERT