Airdrie, AB — Hold onto your keys, folks! An Airdrie man is in hot water after a multi-property search turned up stolen vehicles and a plot twist straight out of a crime drama.
On August 28, a crack team of RCMP auto theft sleuths, alongside the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) and local police, swooped in on three locations in Calgary and Airdrie. Among them? The infamous International Motor Cars, owned by 26-year-old Brooks Stella, who might as well be the poster child for "how not to run a car dealership."
What did they find? Three vehicles that were not just stolen but had their identification numbers altered—talk about a makeover gone wrong! These beauties had either been sold or were hotly advertised for sale. And if that wasn’t enough, police discovered another vehicle that was, you guessed it, proceeds of crime. So much for “no money down!”
RCMP didn’t hold back, declaring, “These vehicles had been sold through the dealership or were advertised for sale. We suspect there are more out there just waiting to be discovered.” Sounds like an automotive treasure hunt, but not the kind you want to be part of!
Stella is now facing a mountain of charges, including money laundering, possession of stolen property for trafficking, and fraud over $5,000. He’s also been charged with forgery and two counts of trafficking in property obtained by crime. Quite the collection for someone who presumably just wanted to sell cars!
After spending some quality time in custody, Stella has been released on a promise to appear in court on October 23. Let’s hope he brushes up on his alibi skills before then!
But wait, there’s more!
Stella has already been in hot water with the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC), who slapped him with penalties for running unlicensed automotive businesses. One order told him to cease all automotive activities—yep, that’s a hard stop—until he gets his act together. Apparently, the idea of selling vehicles without a license wasn’t as clever as he thought.
As the investigation continues, police are on a mission to contact unsuspecting customers who may have inadvertently purchased a stolen ride. So if you bought your car from International Motor Cars and it feels a little too good to be true, you might want to check the VIN—or just call your lawyer!
Other News about Brooks Stella:
Stay tuned, because this automotive saga is far from over!
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