Red Deer RCMP have wrapped up a two-month investigation that led to multiple arrests and charges against five people, along with a traffic ticket issued to a sixth, recovering stolen vehicles and a sawed-off shotgun along the way. The investigation, which started on April 17, 2026, focused on possession of property obtained by crime and spanned several communities across central Alberta.
The effort brought together police from Red Deer, Sylvan Lake, Sundre, Rocky Mountain House, and Olds, with help from RCMP dog teams, the Alberta RCMP Real Time Operation Centre, and Alberta RCMP Air Services. On June 3 and 4, police shared details of the arrests and the items seized.
A 43-year-old man from Caroline faces the most charges, with 22 counts including seven counts of possessing property obtained by crime worth more than $5,000, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, possession of a device for the purpose of committing theft, dangerous driving, and five counts of failing to comply with a release order. Police also executed a search warrant at a home in Caroline and found a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, and tools used for stealing vehicles.
A 34-year-old woman from Caroline was charged with possessing property obtained by crime worth more than $5,000 and fraudulent concealment. She missed her court date on May 22, so a warrant is now out for her arrest.
In Red Deer, 39-year-old Ryan Schweitzer was arrested and faces nine charges, including impaired operation of a motor vehicle, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, operating a motor vehicle while prohibited, and failure to comply with conditions.
On April 28, officers found and recovered several stolen vehicles at two properties in Sundre. Evidence showed the vehicle identification numbers had been tampered with. A 40-year-old man from Mountain View County was charged with three counts of possessing property obtained by crime worth more than $5,000, possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, three counts of fraudulent concealment, trafficking in property obtained by crime, possession of ammunition contrary to an order, and three counts of tampering with a vehicle identification number. He is set to appear in court in Sundre on June 9, 2026.
This latest operation follows a broader improvement in crime numbers for Red Deer. The city saw a 20 per cent drop in its Crime Severity Index from 2023 to 2024, according to Statistics Canada, marking the second-largest decrease among the country’s census metropolitan areas.
