Man charged with stealing $10K worth of meat

A man is charged with stealing more than $10,000 of meat across the city this spring and summer.

The Winnipeg Police Service was contacted about 11 shoplifting incidents between April 19 and June 11. Investigators determined a man had stolen more than $3,000 worth of merchandise — mostly meat.

After obtaining three warrants, police arrested a 32-year-old man on the 300 block of Atlantic Avenue on June 21. He was charged with 11 counts of theft under $5,000, and other offences. The man was detained in custody and then released.

The WPS investigated another 20 shoplifting incidents involving more than $7,000 in meat between June 30 and last Sunday.

Police arrested the same man on the same block Sunday. He was charged with more counts of theft under $5,000 and was again detained in custody.

Insp. Jen McKinnon said at an unrelated news conference Wednesday that meat is among the items most frequently targeted in retail thefts in Winnipeg. 

“Meat, for our grocery stores, is a huge commodity that’s being stolen, and it’s being offloaded,” she said, referencing ongoing investigations, including the arrest police announced Thursday.