Two men charged after an elaborate credit card factory was discovered in Citadel Heights will go to trial in October and early next year.
The trials come nearly a year after Coquitlam RCMP officers executed a search warrant at a home in the 700-block of Capital Court. Inside, police found multiple machines for creating and altering identity and credit cards, more than 700 pieces of stolen mail, a loaded handgun, a shotgun, several more weapons and ammunition.
As well, police discovered nearly $11,000 in cash, a variety of drugs and stolen property, computers and much more.
The home had been the subject of a similar investigation two years ago. In January 2013, a search of the home revealed a large-scale credit card factory as well as stolen property from throughout the Lower Mainland.
Alvin Abhai Chand served a year in prison for weapons and identity theft-related charges; shortly after his release in 2014, police said they observed an increase in criminal activity around the Citadel Heights home and later identified the area as a crime hot spot.
As part of the investigation, officers targeted another suspect, who was arrested in February for alleged vehicle theft and other charges.
Port Coquitlam's Justin Roach was later charged with more than 20 offences, including theft of a vehicle, possession of an imitation and other weapons-related offences, possession of a break-in instrument, possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance and more.
His trial is scheduled for Jan. 5 and 6, 2016 in B.C. Provincial Court in Port Coquitlam.
Chand's charges include possession of a loaded restricted firearm, possession of another person's identity information for a fraudulent purpose, theft of mail and mischief to a Canada Post box. His trial is set for Oct. 13 to 15.
Other news:
MURDER TRIAL
The man accused of murdering his wife last summer has elected to have a trial by jury next year.
In July 2014, police were called to a townhouse complex on Davies Avenue in Port Coquitlam for reports of an unresponsive woman, later identified as 38-year-old Andra Ghiorghita. Emergency personnel were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her husband, Irinei Ghiorghita, was later charged with second-degree murder.
At the time of her death Andra Ghiorghita was completing her Certified General Accountant designation.
The couple also had a young son, who was in Romania visiting grandparents when his mother died.
The trial is scheduled for Sept. 12 to 17 in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster.
[email protected]
@spayneTC
