Mystery man leaves wallet full of questions in Saskatoon

Matt Johnson is not funny successful talking astir wherefore helium had a wallet afloat of ID cards from Louisiana, New York and Hong Kong erstwhile helium got arrested successful February successful Saskatoon portion driving a achromatic Grand Cherokee rental from Calgary.

The 45-year-old American lawyer got kicked retired of Canada a fewer weeks later, connected March 7, aft pleading blameworthy successful Saskatoon provincial tribunal to car theft and stealing gas. Johnson was sentenced to 17 days, which helium had already served, past taken by Canadian Border Services Agency officers and turned implicit to U.S. authorities.

Johnson already had ongoing ineligible troubles successful California. He was wanted successful Orange County connected outstanding warrants for burglary, carrying fake ID and expansive theft auto, and taxable to a five-year home unit restraining order. 

A erstwhile woman from Saskatoon, present surviving successful Ventura County, got the restraining bid successful January aft Johnson harassed her for 2 years. CBC obtained the 81-page record from the region courthouse.

"I ended the narration successful July 2024," she wrote. CBC is not naming the pistillate due to the fact that of concerns for her safety.

"This did not spell good and led to threats, stalking, harassment, individuality theft, anonymous letters to my work, sending nude photos to my ex and colleagues, and adjacent impersonating the CIA."

She says Johnson claimed helium is simply a CIA cause who "works successful the shadows."

Before getting shipped retired of Saskatoon, Johnson signed a committedness not to interaction the woman's household successful Prince Albert.

Johnson near a way of victims and questions since showing up successful Saskatoon past October. His movements are a analyzable communicative elaborate crossed documents from courthouses and constabulary reports connected some sides of the border.

CBC contacted Matthew John Johnson by telephone and substance successful California implicit 4 days successful March.

"My lone crushed for speaking to you is to ascertain wherefore connected Earth you would privation to origin further harm by bringing the tribunal of nationalist sentiment into thing that surrounds me," helium wrote.

"I'll talk to you, but it volition beryllium of small benefit."

The missing Mercedes

The Saskatoon portion of the communicative began erstwhile Matt Johnson dropped disconnected a rental car astatine Fargo International Airport connected Oct. 13, 2024, according to the tribunal documents.

He arrived successful Saskatoon 4 days later, Oct. 17, the aforesaid time the Superior Court of California successful Orange County issued a seat warrant for his apprehension for burglary, fake ID and expansive theft car charges.

On Oct. 18, helium rented a 2024 achromatic Mercedes Benz C300 with B.C. plates astatine the Saskatoon airport. When it was not returned connected the owed date, the institution tried to interaction Johnson and yet reported it stolen, according to constabulary reports reviewed by CBC.

Shortly aft arriving, Johnson began dating a Saskatoon pistillate helium met connected the dating app Hinge. 

"He told maine helium was a New York lawyer moving successful Saskatoon," the woman, who CBC agreed not to place owed to harassment concerns, said successful an interview.

She said Johnson claimed to ain spot successful California, a attraction location successful Saskatoon and much spot connected Saskatchewan Crescent. He besides claimed to beryllium gathering a location successful the Greenbryre neighbourhood, she said. They dated until soon earlier his arrest.

Johnson adjacent surfaces successful the documents connected Dec. 16 erstwhile an ex, who lives successful Saskatoon, reported to constabulary that helium had unexpectedly reappeared successful the metropolis from the U.S. and was harassing her. She said helium was driving a achromatic Mercedes, but had switched the B.C. plates to California plates to debar detection.

Johnson told CBC helium had worked arsenic a paralegal for a salient Saskatoon instrumentality steadfast successful precocious 2019 and aboriginal 2020, but helium was not connected grounds with the Law Society of Saskatchewan successful that play to signifier arsenic a lawyer. A spokesperson for that steadfast wrote successful an email that helium does not enactment determination now.

On Dec. 20, constabulary got a extremity that a stolen achromatic Mercedes C300 had surfaced successful a parking store successful the Evergreen neighbourhood. An serviceman went to the country and recovered the sedan, with California plates, parked and bare wrong the parkade, according to the constabulary report.

The serviceman near the parkade to telephone it in. While helium was connected the radio, the car drove by with a antheral inside.

The serviceman pulled the car over. It turned retired to beryllium the stolen Mercedes, but the operator was not Matt Johnson. Instead, it was a one-time Saskatoon doc who told the bull Johnson had loaned him the car to usage that day.

The doc claimed helium didn't cognize the car had been reported stolen.

When helium was arrested successful February, Johnson had the doctor's driver's licence successful his wallet. He told constabulary the doc was a cocaine addict, heavy successful debt, who had fixed Johnson his ID, slope paper and PIN number. 

CBC unsuccessfully attempted to interaction the doc to verify the communicative successful the constabulary report.

A wallet afloat of questions

Saskatoon constabulary arrested Johnson connected Feb. 25 connected outstanding U.S. and Canadian warrants. He was pulled implicit portion driving a achromatic 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee, rented successful Calgary, that was expected to beryllium returned the time before.

Police described him arsenic "compliant with the commands given."

Officers recovered 2 Bank of America recognition cards, 1 golden Amex card, the doctor's ID, positive aggregate driver's licences and ID cards from New York, Louisiana, Hong Kong and Saskatchewan.

The lawsuit summary reviewed by CBC said banking transactions "indicate a transient lifestyle," with intermittent purchases successful Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon.

"He crosses the borderline often successful aggregate antithetic points of introduction into the country," the summary says.

Johnson was held successful custody arsenic lawyers connected some sides of the borderline figured retired however to grip the Canadian charges and outstanding U.S. warrants.

On March 7, helium pleaded blameworthy successful provincial tribunal to the Canadian car and state theft charges. Judge Lisa Watson accepted the associated submission for clip served, with Johnson's lawyer noting "he's really an American and an American attorney, truthful helium is good versed successful the law."

CBC was scheduled to bash different interrogation with Johnson. Instead, Johnson wrote via substance that he'd missed the interrogation due to the fact that helium was stuck successful traffic. He called and near a voicemail connection to telephone back, but did not reply follow-up calls. These were the past communications CBC received from him.

"I called consenting to entertain YOUR questions, and called backmost arsenic promised," helium wrote successful his last text.

"If you consciousness that's not sincere that you tin simply accidental successful the nonfiction that you weren't consenting to play telephone tag to get those answered."

Johnson did not reply to follow-up requests for a caller interrogation time.