A Toronto man who made a bogus claim of being chased by gunmen before disappearing is now facing new criminal charges.
Toronto police said Monday in a news release that major crimes detectives from 52 Division began a break-and-enter investigation in the Front Street and University Avenue area.
They charged Furqan Muhammad-Haroon, 22, with two counts of break-and-enter. He was to appear in court Monday afternoon on the charges.
Police say that Muhammad-Haroon had worked at a computer software company between November 2007 and April 2008. They allege that the suspect entered the main office area of his employer and removed a number of laptop computers and monitors.
On Aug. 26, police caught up with Muhammad-Haroon at a mosque in St. Catharines. He had gone missing three days earlier, first telling a relative by cellphone three men were chasing, with one of them carrying a firearm.
Police say they could find no evidence to support the theory that Muhammad-Haroon had been abducted. They charged him with public mischief. He has been granted bail on that charge.
It then became known that York Regional police had laid a charge of theft under $5,000 against Muhammad-Haroon on Aug. 13. The allegation is that he stole computer-related equipment from his then-employer, IBM.
He is to appear in court in Newmarket on Sept. 15.
None of the allegations against Muhammad-Haroon have been proven in a court of law.
