Halton police bust GTA auto theft network, lay nearly 40 charges

Halton police say they have recovered multiple vehicles and laid nearly 40 charges against members of an organized auto theft network operating in the GTA.

The investigation, titled Project Credit, determined that the group was operating a car theft network and a chop shop to dismantle stolen vehicles for parts, re-vin vehicles and commit insurance fraud.

Officers say the network would locate expensive vehicles and arrange crews to steal them through a method known as “re-programming.”

The group also arranged to test drive target vehicles in order to make a copy of the key fob before returning it.

Once these vehicles were stolen, they were either loaded into containers to be shipped overseas or they ended up in the chop shop. Once the cars sent to the chop shop were stripped for parts, the base of the vehicle would be discarded in rural areas.

Authorities add that the accused would also report vehicles stolen fraudulently and obtain a pay out from insurance. Similar to the test-driven vehicles, they were also located by police stripped of their parts and dumped in rural areas.

As part of the operation, investigators say six search warrants were executed at two residences, a storage facility, two vehicles and a trailer.

One of the warrants uncovered the active chop shop at a storage facility in Grimsby where multiple stolen vehicles and components were recovered, including:

• A 2022 Chevrolet Camaro
• Four Chevrolet Corvettes
• One 2024 BMW
• One 2023 Dodge Hellcat

Two additional vehicles and a trailer were also seized.

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As a result of the investigation, four individuals are facing nearly 40 charges.

Joseph Creti, 39, of Burlington has been charged with the following offences:

• Theft of motor vehicle (x5)
• Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000 (x7)
• Mischief under $5k (x1)
• Public mischief (x2)
• Fraud over $5000 (x4)
• Flight from police (x1)
• Conspiracy to commit indictable offence (x2)
• Trafficking stolen property (x1)
• Counselling indictable offence (x1)
• Fail to comply with probation (x1)
• Possession of break-in instruments (x1)
• Possession of cocaine (x1)

Nicole Stella, 38, of Grimsby has also been charged with one count of mischief under $5,000, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and one count of theft of a motor vehicle.

Twenty-nine-year-old Lucas Maieron of Barrie has been charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count of public mischief.

A 16-year-old has been charged with one count of mischief, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and one count of theft of a motor vehicle.

Officers urge anyone who suspects a key fob was re-programmed from a test drive to report it to authorities as soon as possible.

Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is asked to contact police at 905-825-4747.

Those wishing to submit information anonymously can do so through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or on their website.

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