Key Takeaways
- Nine commercial coffee machines worth about $85,955 were stolen from a Mississauga business on July 11.
- Police recovered six of the machines in a November 1 search warrant and believe three were sold online.
- Cezary Szuc, 45, and Leslie Ayotte, 57, are each charged with possession of property obtained by crime.
Stolen coffee machines worth $85,955 turned up for sale online
Nine high-end commercial coffee machines disappeared from a Mississauga commercial building in July. Months later, investigators found the equipment being advertised online.
Now, two Mississauga men are facing charges after police recovered six of the machines in a search of a local residence.
The theft happened on Saturday, July 11, at approximately 6:40 a.m. Officers responding to a break-and-enter at the commercial building discovered that nine machines, valued at approximately $85,955, were missing.
The investigation took an online turn when police traced listings advertising the stolen equipment through an online marketplace.
Six machines recovered in a November search
Investigators from Peel Regional Police's 12 Division Criminal Investigations Bureau identified two suspects after tracing the listings.
On Sunday, November 1, officers executed a search warrant at a residence near Bloor Street and Fieldgate Drive in Mississauga.
Inside, they recovered six of the nine stolen machines.
Police photographs show boxed Jura commercial coffee machines stacked on warehouse pallets.
Investigators believe the other three machines had already been sold online before the search warrant was executed.
Two men charged, but not with the break-in
Cezary Szuc, 45, and Leslie Ayotte, 57, both of Mississauga, have each been charged with possession of property obtained by crime.
Importantly, neither man has been charged with the original break-in. The charges announced by police relate to possession of the alleged stolen property.
Both men were released on undertakings and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at a later date.
The charges have not been proven in court.
The Twikup Take
The machines were worth nearly $86,000, and investigators believe the stolen equipment was being sold through ordinary online listings. Six have been recovered, but three are still unaccounted for.
The theft started with nine machines disappearing. The investigation has brought six back — but three are still out there.
Image: Recovered machines photographed by Peel Regional Police.