4 arrested for money laundering in ‘coordinated’ ATM fraud in Edmonton casinos
Posted August 11, 2025 9:59 am.
Last Updated August 11, 2025 10:06 am.
Four Edmonton men have been arrested, and a fifth Albertan is wanted by police in connection with an ATM scam at multiple casinos.
The RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region (NWR) says an investigation into suspicious activity at casino-based ATMs across the Edmonton area led to the arrests and charges.
Authorities say a string of high-value withdrawals triggered a service disruption to ATMs across western Canada as part of the alleged fraud scheme. Investigators say the accused withdrew large sums of cash – totalling $1 million – “to evade detection and exploit financial institutions.”
The NWR and Edmonton police executed six search warrants in the capital city. Police allege searches revealed evidence of fraud and money laundering. Cocaine was also seized, according to police, which led to additional drug trafficking charge against one of the suspects.
Edmonton’s Elliot Miao, 42, Van Bau Ta, 39, Hassan Jaafar Haydar Ahmad, 37, and Dennis Jones, 42, are scheduled to appear in court Monday.
Alberta’s Hisham Ismaeel, 28, was charged with two offences, and an Alberta-wide warrant was issued for his arrest.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
