Two people are facing charges after they allegedly used a stolen cheque book to withdraw more than $43,000 from the bank account of an elderly Pickering couple.

Police say that a 70-year-old Pickering man ordered new cheques and they were mailed to him by his financial institution in late December.

“He never received them and went back to the bank in February 2019 to re-order more. Several weeks later, the bank contacted the male to advise his account had been drained of over $43,000. Someone had intercepted the first replacement cheques and started making withdrawals,” reads a media release from police.

“A total of 30 cheques had been cashed between December 30, 2018 and early March 2019, involving three different males. The withdrawal amounts ranged from $600 to $5,000.”

The two men were arrested following a police investigation, which is ongoing, and are facing a total of more than 65 charges.

Jesse Beaton, 26, of Mullen Drive in Ajax is facing 45 charges, including possession of property obtained by crime; use of forged document, fraud under $5,000 and laundering proceeds of crime.

Darren Nicholson, 18, of Ormond Drive in Oshawa is facing 21 charges, including possession of property obtained by crime, use of forged document, fraud under $5,000 and laundering proceeds of crime.

Both were held for bail hearings.