5 charged in Lethbridge fraud, forgery investigation

Lethbridge Police Headquarters is shown in Lethbridge, Alta., on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Rossiter)

Lethbridge police say five people were arrested in an investigation that saw hundreds of pieces of forged identification seized from a home in the city’s north end.

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In 2023, police raided a home and seized the fake IDs as well as equipment typically used to manufacture them.

A subsequent investigation determined the suspects used the cards at banks throughout southern Alberta to open bank accounts and obtain credit cards, loans and multiple high-end vehicles.

Other search warrants at homes in Calgary and Edmonton discovered more fake IDs, police said.

Five people, a 27-year-old, 25-year-old, 23-year-old and 19-year-old from Lethbridge and an 18-year-old from Edmonton, were all arrested and charged with possession of forged identification and creating forged identification.