Toronto, Niagara police lay 500 charges in connection with investigation of alleged chop shop operation

Toronto and Niagara Regional Police have laid more than 500 charges against five men in connection with an investigation of an alleged chop shop operation.

The charges follow a joint forces investigation first launched in 2009 involving the Toronto Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, Niagara Regional Police Service and the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario Enforcement Unit.

The project targeted the alleged fraudulent issuance of structural certificates for rebuilt vehicles and the selling of those salvaged vehicles. The charges have not been proven in court.

Police say the owners of two Toronto body shops, Downtown Collision and Car Care Centre, applied to the Ministry of Transportation to become Structural Inspection

Stations and were granted certification. Both owners entered into an agreement with an insurance appraiser, who provided them with structural certificates.

Police say the appraiser attended various locations and conducted improper structural inspections of vehicles, even though he was not qualified to conduct such inspections. The appraiser would then have the shop owners sign papers saying the inspections were conducted.

According to police, some of the inspected vehicles were stolen and assigned new Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs). Some of the vehicles were re−inspected and found not to have met safety requirements.

Police say the shop owners split the financial profits from the re-sale of the inspected vehicles.

Charged are John Keen, 51, of Toronto; Giovanni Bellisario, 53, of Toronto; Osvaldo Savia, 57, of Toronto; David De Oliveira, 33, of Toronto; and Gabor Toth, 39, of Toronto.