RCMP have laid dozens of Criminal Code charges against a Red Deer County man allegedly involved in stolen property and gun crimes.
The Priority Crimes Task Force have charged two other persons in the case as well after police searched two properties in late January — one in the city and one near Blackfalds. At that time RCMP seized guns, recreational vehicles including ATVs and snowmobiles, and other items.
The task force executed the first search warrant on a property on 55th Avenue in the West Park neighbourhood on Jan. 25. Police recovered included three ATVs, a snowmobile and two utility trailers. These items traced back to thefts out of Three Hills, Red Deer and Rocky Mountain House. A number of smaller items seized were also traced back to thefts out of Penhold and the Rimbey area.
On Jan. 27, in an unrelated investigation, Blackfalds RCMP tracked a stolen snowmobile to a residence in the area of Township Road 391 and Range Road 273.
Later the same day, the task force executed a search warrant at that property. They seized stolen property that included five snowmobiles, an ATV, a dirt bike and three trailers, and several stolen passports, credit cards and pieces of identification. Police also seized nine rifles and nine shotguns, one of which was loaded, as well as ammunition and drugs.
The stolen property in this file has been linked to criminal activity in Red Deer, Blackfalds, Lacombe, Sylvan Lake and Bentley.
Riley James Mittelstadt, 40, now faces 55 charges, including possession of stolen property, possession of a restricted firearm and ammunition, unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon and fraudulent concealment, RCMP said in a release.
Sheri-Lynn Kathleen Koch, 35, of Red Deer County, is also charged with possession of stolen property and fraudulent concealment.
They will appear in Red Deer provincial court in Red Deer on April 5.
Robert Allan Brown, 30, of Blackfalds charged in February in relation to the investigations. He faces a stolen property charge. He is making his third appearance in Red Deer provincial court today.
The Priority Crimes Task Force is made up of members from Red Deer RCMP General Investigative Section (GIS), Sylvan Lake, Innisfail and Blackfalds RCMP detachments.