Arrest made in suspected vehicle theft operation out of east Ottawa

A Montreal man is facing numerous theft-related charges after Ottawa police made a traffic stop in the Hunt Club Road and Highway 417 area.

Back in December of 2019, Ottawa police teamed up with the Ontario Provincial Police and other agencies across eastern Ontario and Quebec for a project aimed to take down a high-end vehicle theft ring, operating in central and eastern Ontario, as well as Quebec. They ended up arresting 20 people and recovering 97 vehicles destined for overseas. 

With that in mind, Ottawa patrol officers who spotted at Lexus SUV headed east at 3 a.m. on Thursday, July 9, they decided to pull it over.  

An investigation showed that the vehicle was in fact stolen, so the driver was arrested.

Frantz Moise, 46, of Montreal, was charged with:

• Theft of a Motor Vehicle
• Conspiracy to commit an indictable offence
• Failure to comply with release order
• Mischief/Damage to Property not Exceeding $5,000
• Possession of Property or Thing Obtained by Crime Exceeding $5,000
• Obstructing/Resisting a Public/Peace Officer

He appeared in court on Thursday.

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) says it continues to monitor and pay special attention to the theft of high end Lexus and Toyota vehicles in Ottawa, particularly larger SUVs like 4 Runners and Tacomas.