In October 2016, the Edmonton Police Service Cyber Crimes Investigations Unit received information from a concerned citizen that someone was selling a stun gun online in Edmonton. An investigation resulted in the February 2017 arrest of Jesse Clapp, 32 and Travis Tanasychuk, 34. The two men were allegedly purchasing stun guns from online vendors outside of Canada and selling them locally online and to individuals involved in the drug trade.
A subsequent investigation revealed that between August 2016 and February 2017, Kristine Palmer, 25, an employee at a Red Deer hotel, had allegedly stolen identity and credit card information from approximately 150 hotel guests and shared it with Clapp. It is alleged that Clapp and Tanasychuk were using the stolen information to purchase prohibited weapons, as well as for other fraudulent purposes. Police have notified all those affected by the alleged identity and credit card theft.
In total, 90 charges were laid.
Clapp and Tanasychuk are charged with numerous weapons-related offences, including weapons trafficking, possession for purpose of weapons trafficking and possession of weapon for dangerous purpose.
Clapp, Tanasychuk and Palmer are all charged with offences in relation to the possession and distribution of credit card data and identity documents, including 13 counts each under the unauthorized use of credit card data section 342 (3) of the Criminal Code.
The EPS Cyber Crimes Investigations Unit focuses on criminal activities in cyberspace that are often complex and international in scope, where the evidence is transient and spread across multiple jurisdictions.
In order to address these challenges, the EPS Cyber Crimes Investigations Unit requires multi-jurisdictional cooperation and engagement with the public, while integrating new technical tools with traditional policing measures.