A former ServiceOntario employee and a Vaughan auto body shop associate have been sentenced in a vehicle theft and fraud conspiracy tied to Ontario’s growing auto crime problem.
The case centred on a re-VINing operation, an illegal practice in which a stolen vehicle’s identification number is replaced or altered to disguise its true identity and make it appear legitimate. Authorities say the scheme helped move stolen vehicles back into the market while defrauding the public system.
ServiceOntario employee Tonisha Baird of Brampton received a two-year conditional sentence that includes eight months of house arrest followed by eight months under curfew. Eric Johnson, former owner of Prexco Autohub, was sentenced to 15 months in jail.
Court records show Johnson pleaded guilty to multiple offences involving stolen vehicles, including trafficking, conspiracy and fraud. Prosecutors said he handled vehicles that had been re-identified and resold, including a 2021 Land Rover Range Rover reportedly sold for $20,000.
The court heard Baird used her position to alter records and paperwork that helped conceal the fraud. This was her second conviction involving misconduct while employed at ServiceOntario. In an earlier case, she served jail time after helping register vehicles to fictitious companies to avoid toll and parking charges.
Justice Ranjan Agarwal described auto theft as a serious crime with widespread consequences, noting it creates stress, financial loss and fear for victims while contributing to broader public safety concerns.
The investigation was linked to Project Myra, a major probe by the Ontario Provincial Police that recovered 214 stolen vehicles valued at approximately $12 million between 2020 and 2022.
The case highlights how organized vehicle theft can extend beyond stolen cars themselves, involving insider access, falsified records and coordinated fraud. It also underscores the increasing focus by law enforcement on dismantling networks that profit from Ontario’s vehicle theft crisis.