A traffic stop in Bradford West Gwillimbury spiralled into a much larger investigation involving alleged fake licence plates, identity fraud, and multiple driving offences.
South Simcoe Police say that just after 2 p.m. on April 15, 2026, an officer pulled over a vehicle on Bridge Street after spotting a licence plate violation and a tinted plate cover. Police say the driver, a 42-year-old from Beaverton, cooperated and claimed the plates were legitimate.
As a result of the traffic stop, the man was charged with the following:
- owner operating a vehicle without insurance
- driving without a licence
- using an authorized plate
- failing to register ownership
- operating a vehicle with an unvalidated permit
The licence plates were seized, and the driver was allowed to remove the vehicle from the road so it could be towed.
But the investigation didn't end there.
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Police later determined the plates were fraudulent replicas linked to a previously registered plate belonging to a former owner of the vehicle. Further digging by officers connected the accused to a hit-and-run in Durham Region in April 2025, and unpaid offence notices for a licence plate no longer in possession earlier this year in Bradford.
From there, investigators determined that roughly three hours after the initial traffic stop, the same man allegedly returned to the vehicle and drove it again using different plates taken from another vehicle.
The discovery led to a second wave of charges on April 16, including criminal counts of uttering a forged document, identity fraud, and fraud under $5,000.
An additional set of provincial charges were laid in relation to the accused allegedly operating the vehicle after the second stop:
- owner operating a vehicle with no insurance
- driving a vehicle with no licence
- using a plate not authorized for the vehicle
- failing to apply for a permit on becoming the owner
- owner operating a vehicle with no insurance - in relation to the April 2025 collision in Durham Region
The accused has a court date in July.
