Heather Wright/The Independent

One of six people charged in a massive classic car theft case has been sentenced to nine months of house arrest for her part in the scheme.

In 2023, Larry Grogan of Watford told the OPP about 160 classic cars which he was expecting to be delivered to his new business never arrived.

Grogan told police Robert Bradshaw had been finding the vehicles for him but not delivering all of them.

In May, OPP seized 16 cars in the Belleville area and returned them to Grogan. The OPP then began seizing cars which Grogan paid for but had been resold to unsuspecting buyers. 

Police allege Bradshaw, Gary LeBlanc, Michael McCrory and Charlotte Johnston, 53, were forging ownerships to resell the cars.

Dozens of classic car owners have been stripped of their vehicles, without any consideration of what they paid for or invested in them.

Grogan is now in civil court trying to have their cars’ ownerships put back into his name, so he can resell them.

Bradshaw’s uncle, Jack, 77, is also facing charges in connection with the case as well as his friend, Roger Thompson.

Monday, Charlotte Johnston was in court after pleading guilty to uttering a forged document earlier this year. 

Crown Attorney Lee Burgess says Justice John D. Bonn of the Ontario Court of Justice ordered Johnston to serve a 14-month conditional sentence with nine months under house arrest. 

She will only be able to leave her home for work, religious attendances, legal obligations or absences approved by her parole officer.

Police will be checking to make sure she’s serving the house arrest by going to her home.

Johnston is to have no contact with the others accused in the case. And she’ll have to serve 70 hours of community service over the next 14 months.

“Given her financial situation, no restitution was ordered,” said Burgess.

Johnston is still facing other charges in the case.

Meantime, the other five people charged in the theft of the classic cars will return to court Oct. 17. Robert Bradshaw has been dodging the law and skipped court appearances in the last few months.

There is a warrant out for his arrest.