$116K worth of designer sunglasses, eyewear stolen over summer: police

Two people are facing charges in connection with a spree of thefts over the summer that saw more than $100,000 worth of designer sunglasses and eyewear stolen from various stores.

Police said nearly 300 pairs of glasses valued at over $116,000 were stolen between June 5 and Aug. 28. There were six incidents in which police say dozens of glasses and sunglasses were stolen at a time.

The first happened on June 5 at a business in the 1500 block of Regent Avenue West. Police said a suspect took 23 designer sunglasses valued at more than $5,600 and then left.

On June 12 and Aug. 28, police said a suspect went to a business in the 1200 block of St. Mary's Road and took 102 designer eyeglass frames and sunglasses worth more than $36,000 and then left.

On June 23, July 6 and Aug. 4, a suspect is alleged to have hit a business in the 500 block of Sterling Lyon Parkway and stole 173 designer sunglasses over the three days, totalling around $73,000.

On Sept. 8, police executed a search warrant in the 2300 block of Pembina Highway. More than 40 pairs of designer glasses were found in the home, valued at more than $12,000.

As for the remaining pairs of stolen sunglasses, police tell CTV News they can only speculate as to their whereabouts.

"Anecdotally speaking, stolen merchandise can be acquired to fulfill ‘orders’ made by larger organized criminal groups which are ultimately traded for other illicit goods," Const. Claude Chancy, a public information officer with the Winnipeg Police Service told CTV News in an email.

"In addition, thieves can also operate on their own selling stolen goods directly to unsuspecting buyers or by advertising on social media platforms. Buyers are often attracted to these items even when the source of ownership has not been verified."

Chancy said buyers can protect themselves by asking questions and request a bill of sale or receipt before buying an item.

A 22-year-old man from Winnipeg was charged with six counts of theft over $5,000, and was detained in custody. A 20-year-old woman was charged with possessing property obtained by crime over $5,000. She was released on an undertaking.