Sarnia Police Service officials allege: A 38-year-old man is facing multiple charges after police say a stolen wallet was used to make fraudulent purchases at a local convenience store.
Police say that on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at about 7:19 p.m., officers were called to investigate the fraudulent use of a credit card. A local man had reported losing his wallet earlier in the day and was later notified of unauthorized transactions on his card. The purchases, which included gift cards, were made at a convenience store on Exmouth Street at approximately 5:15 p.m.
An officer attended the store and, with the assistance of security video, identified a suspect. The officer then checked several locations where he believed the individual might be but was unable to find him.
At about 11:34 p.m., the same officer observed a man walking east along Confederation Street wearing clothing identical to that seen in the surveillance footage. Police say the man abruptly turned north toward an apartment building after noticing the cruiser.
The officer caught up to him and made an arrest. During a search incident to arrest, police say the victim’s wallet was located nearby after the suspect allegedly attempted to discard it. Receipts for the fraudulent purchases were also found.
The wallet and its contents were returned to the victim.
The accused, a 38-year-old man of no fixed address, was released on a police undertaking and is charged with fraud under $5,000, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime and failing to comply with probation.
“While we are often called to high-priority matters, we have not forgotten that less serious crimes still create victims. The officer in this case, between other calls for service, worked diligently to locate this suspect and recover someone’s missing property. It serves as another example of the excellent work being done by our front-line, every hour of every day,” said Derek Davis, chief of the Sarnia Police Service.
