Four arrested after $1 million worth of burglaries in Durham, Waterloo and York Regions

Four people have been arrested following a string of burglaries across the GTA with investigators recovering $500,000 worth of stolen goods including tools and trading cards.

York Regional Police launched an investigation in August after a string of break-ins at golf courses in Durham, Waterloo and York Regions as well as Simcoe County. The break-ins and thefts totalled more than $1 million worth of missing items.

Investigators raided several storage lockers in  East Gwillimbury and the Georgina on Oct. 16. The officers found a great deal of stolen goods and drugs in the lockers including:

• 18 golf carts worth almost $200,000
• golf clubs valued over $100,000,
• rare Pokemon and Magic the Gathering trading cards worth around $100,000 and
• $20,000 worth of DeWalt construction tools
• more than two kilograms of cannabis
• 86 grams of psilocybin
• 28 grams of cocaine
• drug paraphernalia and
• Canadian currency

Four men were arrested in the wake of the raids:

• William Johnston, 48 of Keswick
  • possession of stolen property for trafficking
  • possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
  • possession of cocaine for trafficking
• Austin Parnell, 19 of Vaughan
  • possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
• Damien Russell, 41 of Keswick
  • two counts of trafficking in property obtained by crime
  • possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
  • five counts of theft over $5,000
  • possession of stolen property for trafficking
  • three counts of mischief under $5,000
• Andrew Skibinsky, 36 of Keswick
  • trafficking in property obtained by crime
  • possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
  • five counts of theft over $5,000
  • possession of stolen property for trafficking
  • three counts of mischief under $5,000
  • break and enter
  • committing an offence while disguised
  • possession of magic mushrooms for trafficking
  • possession of cannabis for distribution
  • possession of a weapon contrary to a court order (Skibinsky is under a lifetime ban from owning firearms)

Anyone with information can call police at 1-866-876-5423, ext.7341 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).