The owner of a Falcon Lake construction business is facing fraud charges after making false reports for items he said were allegedly stolen.
Colin Durward, 37, of Oakbank has been charged with three counts of fraud over $5,000 and three counts of public mischief.
RCMP say Durward filed three reports with police and his insurance company between 2010 and 2013 for construction-related tools and equipment he said were stolen. Police later recovered welders, drills, a table saw and other items, and determined they were never stolen.
The value of the items fraudulently reported stolen in a June 2013 break-in is estimated at about $500,000.
Durward is also said to have claimed a pickup truck worth $28,000 was stolen in September 2010, a hot tub worth $12,000 was stolen in December 2012
He is scheduled to appear in Steinbach court on October 10.
Falcon Beach RCMP are continuing to investigate.
