Do you know if your information is safe? More than 5,000 Torontonians have hair their information compromised.

A massive fraud investigation dubbed Project Royal has been ongoing since summer 2016. The individuals taken into custody apparently lived a "high-profile lifestyle of conspicuous consumption fuelled by the proceeds of identity theft and fraud," police stated on Tuesday.

Toronto Police have two men in custody in connection with this crime and are currently searching for a third. The men involved have been charged with the following:

Adekunle Johnson Omitiran, 37

  • Turned himself in on April 27
  • Charged with fraud over $5,000
  • Four counts of fraud under $5,000
  • Two counts of identity theft
  • Trafficking identity information
  • Possession of credit cards obtained by crime
  • Two counts of possession of proceeds of crime
  • Failure to comply with probation

He is to appear in court on May 19th.

Adedayo Ogundana, 45

  • Arrested on December 13, 2016
  • Charged with 2 counts of fraud over $5,000
  • 10 counts of fraud under $5,000
  • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
  • Possession of proceeds of crime

He is to appear in court on May 18th.

The third individual is known as Duro Akintola, 44, of Toronto. A warrant was issued on March 9th for his arrest.

Additionally, a man by the name of Emmanuel Salako, 47, was indicted by the United States Postal Inspection Service in Chicago under the name Gorge Salako and is wanted in the U.S.

The evidence that led to the above arrests was found on April 24th, three days prior to Omitiran turning himself in. The police seized:

  • 37 stolen credit cards
  • Hundreds of pieces of stolen mail
  • Notebooks with personal information of 5,000+ GTA residents
  • $39,000 in cash
  • $310,000 worth of watches
  • Around $390,000 worth of clothing, jewelry, accessories, liquor

These items were found during a search of a Yorkville condo, believed to have been "under the control" of Omitiran at the time.

Police also believe the items were obtained through identity theft, and that losses are estimated at more than $10 million.

Investigators have determined that Omitiran did not act alone in obtaining identity information, and that he has connections to people with access to identity information, which was then sold to him. Authorities are asking for assistance in finding those responsible.

Project Royal was executed with the help of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Competition Bureau of Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, the Ontario Ministry of Finance, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, York Regional Police, Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Canada Post Investigations, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and members of the public.

If you have any information regarding this investigation, you are asked to contact Financial Crimes at 416-808-7300 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

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