On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, around 3 p.m., a male entered a local Lexus dealership and asked to test drive a Lexus RX 350. The suspect took off in the vehicle and attempts to track it were unsuccessful.
The following day, around 3:15 p.m., police were called after a suspect, who was test driving a Lexus RX 500, stopped and ordered the sales person out of the vehicle before taking off.
Members from the Edmonton Police Services West Division Patrol and Targeted Response to Auto Theft Prevention (TRAP) teams, in cooperation with Lexus, were able to track the vehicle.
On Friday, July 4, 2025, TRAP conducted a search warrant and seized supplies used for stealing and re-vining vehicles. Police have since arrested four suspects and recovered the two stolen Lexus vehicles.
“Members of the West Division Patrol, with support from TRAP and other units, did an outstanding job investigating, locating, and arresting a group of individuals involved in this sophisticated auto theft ring,” said Staff Sergeant Roger Bellerose. “Getting this criminal operation off the street is a big win for EPS, and local dealerships.”
Three suspects; Evan Balchen, 37, Mathew McGraw-Ward, 37 and Steven Brown, 40 face a combined total of 13 criminal charges, including: possession of a forged or falsified credit card, possession of forged documents and possession of stolen property over $5000.
A fourth suspect, Mohammed Elghadban, 45, faces five criminal charges including: theft of a motor vehicle, uttering forged documents and impersonation with the intent to gain advantage.