'Substantial seizure': $300K worth of stolen vehicles recovered from Winnipeg compound

More than $300,000 worth of stolen vehicles were seized from a Winnipeg compound earlier this month.

According to police, officers patrolled the 200 block of Tecumseh Street on Sept. 7 when they saw a 2006 Ford F-350 parked in a compound.

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Const. Claude Chancy said officers recognized the truck as a recently listed stolen vehicle and decided to investigate, getting a search warrant.

"When they executed this search warrant, they found in excess of $300,000 worth of stolen property," he said.

Vehicles seized included trucks, motorcycles, a side-by-side, and a Jeep. Officers also seized various Manitoba licence plates, handmade decorative signs, and personal identification documents.

"It is a substantial seizure," Chancy said.

Two tow trucks and magnetic tow truck decals were also seized. Chancy said the trucks and decals were not used in the thefts of the other vehicles when police responded, but said it was a possibility in the future.

Police say the items were stolen from Winnipeg, Beausejour, Peguis First Nation, the RM of MacDonald and the RM of St. Andrews. All items have been returned to their owners.

"Further investigation revealed that the compound was being rented by a male suspect and that the owner of the compound was unaware of the criminal activity occurring within it," police said in a news release.

Man charged has lengthy criminal record

Winnipeg police and Stonewall RCMP arrested 38-year-old Vincent John Jose Oliveira on Sunday.

He is facing the following charges:

• •16 counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000;
• Eight counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000;
• Two counts of Possession of a Credit Card; and
• Two counts of Possession of an Identity Document.

The charges have not been proven in court.

Provincial court clerks told CTV News Oliveira remains in custody and has a bail court date scheduled for next week.

“This person that we've arrested is known to police and has a history of criminal activity,” Chancy told CTV News.

According to court documents, Oliveira has a lengthy criminal record from 2014.

In November 2022, he was arrested and charged after police found several stolen vehicles, including cars, campers, a motorcycle, and a Sea-Doo, at a home in Winnipeg.

Then, in March 2023, Oliveira was arrested following an erratic chase with police in a stolen truck, and police charged him with multiple counts.

According to court documents, he pleaded guilty in both cases.

Winnipeg police said more arrests are anticipated.

"We can't say for sure whether this is part of a larger scale operation, however, when you put into account we have over $300,000 worth of seized property, it is unlikely that this person was stealing this property for his own purpose," Chancy said.