Cold Lake resident, 24, charged after liquor store thefts and robberies

A 24-year-old Cold Lake, Alberta, resident is facing 22 charges, including robbery, theft and firearms offences, after a series of thefts and robberies at liquor stores in the Cold Lake and Bonnyville areas between May 3 and May 19, 2026, RCMP said.

Police did not release the accused's name. The accused was arrested during a traffic stop near Bonnyville at about 1 a.m. on May 20, 2026, and a firearm was seized from the vehicle, according to the RCMP.

Stores targeted

Officers from the Cold Lake RCMP and Bonnyville RCMP detachments responded to the incidents and worked together to link them to a single suspect. RCMP said the businesses targeted between May 3 and May 19 included:

• Liquor Warehouse
• Sobey's Liquor
• Nap Liquor
• One AM Liquor
• Ace Liquor

Arrest and firearm seizure

According to police, Bonnyville officers conducted a traffic stop involving known offenders at approximately 1 a.m. on May 20. The suspect was located during the stop and taken into custody without incident.

Officers searched the vehicle incidental to the arrest and found and seized a firearm, RCMP said.

Charges

The accused is charged with:

• Failure to comply with a release order (11 counts)
• Theft under $5,000 (2 counts)
• Robbery (2 counts)
• Uttering threats
• Possession of a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence
• Possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose (2 counts)
• Possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle
• Unauthorized possession of a firearm

The charges have not been proven in court.

Court date

After the arrest, the accused appeared before a justice of the peace and was ordered detained. The accused is scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Bonnyville on June 16, 2026.

This article is based on a release from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.