Alberta man wanted in arson extortion case arrested

A man wanted in connection to several attempted arson extortion cases in Calgary and Edmonton has been arrested.

Calgary police said Finbar Hughes, 21, was found and arrested on Wednesday.

He had been wanted on arrest warrants issued by the Calgary Police Service and the Edmonton Police Service.

According to court records, which detail the warrants for arrest, Hughes, 21, had been wanted in both cities on a total of 10 charges: seven in Edmonton and three in Calgary. The charges include arson, extortion and possession of incendiary material. 

Police are accusing Hughes of extortion against several named victims in Edmonton and Calgary, with the charges alleging he tried “by menaces” to make them send him bitcoin.

The charges detail that in one case, he allegedly asked for money to be sent to a bitcoin account “or expect a worse fire,” and in another instance, there was a threat “to pay to a provided bitcoin account or suffer consequences.”

More to come.

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