On Dec. 11, 2021, members of the Western Alberta District Rural Crime Reduction Unit, with the assistance of the Grande Prairie RCMP Detachment, attended a property in an area Southeast of Debolt to execute a search warrant related to thefts in the area.

During the search police recovered the following stolen property; two pickup trucks, a cargo trailer full of tools, 3 welding units, a light tower, hundreds of pounds of stripped copper wire stolen from local well sites, copper stripping equipment, power tools and approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine.

Thomas Emard (31) and Amanda Gies (30), both of Debolt, are charged with multiple counts of possession of property obtained by crime and drug offenses. In addition, Emard was wanted on 14 outstanding arrest warrants at the time of his arrest.

“Our observations at the property which included salvage receipts and wire stripping equipment leads us to believe that these two individuals are responsible for a significant amount of copper wire theft in the area” says Sgt. Chris Power. “We will continue to work with our partners in the scrap metal industry to identify those responsible for targeting industrial sites for copper theft throughout the Peace Region”.

Emard and Geis were released following a Judicial hearing before a Justice of the Peace. Both Emard and Geis are next scheduled to appear in Grande Prairie Provincial Court on January 24, 2022.

Grande Prairie RCMP encourage the public to report any criminal or suspicious activity.  Reports tell us where to look, who to look for, and where to patrol in the future. If you see a crime in progress, dial 911. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.