In a recent development, two cousins hailing from Bradford, Ontario, have found themselves entangled in a legal web as they confront a total of 130 criminal charges. The charges stem from an extensive investigation into a string of distraction thefts that specifically targeted elderly individuals throughout the province.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have disclosed that the accused individuals, identified as 24-year-old Sasha Popisan Bravo and 18-year-old Dylan Chancafe Bravo, were apprehended as part of an operation dubbed “Project Final” by the Central Region Crime Unit. This thorough investigation was initiated in the spring of 2025 due to a noticeable trend of thefts stretching back to October 2024.
Law enforcement officials reveal that the cousins adopted a technique called “shoulder surfing” to clandestinely observe victims as they inputted their PINs at various banking and financial establishments. Subsequently, once the PIN was surreptitiously acquired, the suspects allegedly engaged in distracting the victims, either verbally or physically, and then swapped their debit cards with ones that had been pilfered previously. This maneuver granted the cousins access to withdraw funds or make purchases, often in the guise of gift cards, prior to the victims realizing the theft.
Shockingly, the majority of the victims, averaging around 75 years old, were targeted by these acts of deception. The authorities have been able to link at least 23 confirmed incidents to the accused individuals.
Sasha Popisan Bravo is confronting a staggering 96 charges, encompassing a myriad of offenses such as fraud, theft of credit cards, and the unauthorized utilization of financial instruments. On the other hand, his younger cousin, Dylan Chancafe Bravo, is facing 34 charges relating to similar criminal activities.
The police emphasize that the investigation is still ongoing and urge anyone who suspects that they may have fallen victim to a distraction theft to step forward.