A former executive faces 40 criminal charges in connection with a massive toy theft at the Salvation Army but police say they are still looking for at least one other person in connection with the case.
The toys and other donated goods -- worth about $2 million -- were stolen from the Salvation Army warehouse in Toronto over a two year period.
The Salvation Army announced over the weekend that they had recovered three trucks full of stolen goods in Brampton, containing about 150 skids.
Police said at a news conference Monday afternoon that a "significant" amount of the missing cache of toys was recovered after officers executed four search warrants over the weekend.
Two high-end bicycles were found among the recovered stash, stacked in the bathroom of a warehouse that was raided by police over the weekend. Det. Robert Strain said those bikes were donated by Premier Dalton McGuinty.
Other recovered property was found in a freezer-type cold storage facility in Brampton, he said.
“It was clear it was being held offsite from the wholesale company , and kept clearly under control,” Strain said.
Strain said high-end products would be shipped into the Salvation Army warehouse but then be put aside so that they could be strictly controlled. Other times, shipments would be directed to another warehouse, without the permission or knowledge of the Salvation Army.
The second suspect police are looking for is believed to be working for the company that owns this second warehouse. It is alleged that the suspect stole shipped goods and redistributed them through his wholesale company for profit.
The donated goods will be returned to the Salvation Army once police catalogue the evidence though neither police nor Salvation Army officials could say when that would be.
Salvation Army spokesperson Maj. John Murray said in the meantime, the organization is working with external consultants to review their security procedures.
“We’re pleased to know those who donated goods will have their kindness go towards the directed purpose,” he said. “We’ll do everything in our power to make sure this never happens again.”
Last week, the Salvation Army confirmed they had fired an executive director with the company after conducting an internal investigation.
CTV Toronto learned that the mission’s former executive director David Rennie turned himself into police for questioning at around 10 a.m. Monday.
Rennie, 51, faces charges including:
- 10 counts of theft over $5,000,
- 17 counts of possession of property obtained by crime,
- Seven counts of theft under $5,000,
- Two counts of possession of stolen goods for the purpose of trafficking
- Criminal breach of trust
- Traffic in stolen goods over $5,000
- Traffic in stolen goods under $5000
- Conspiracy to commit an indictable offence
He was released with a promise to appear in court on Jan. 4.
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