“Pharoah” suspect charged and released in Edmonton sexual assault case

Edmonton police say they have charged, and quickly released on bail, 30-year-old Ferhat Ozdemircan in connection with a July sexual assault case after he allegedly posed as an Uber driver.

Source: Edmonton Police

Edmonton police say they have charged, and quickly released on bail, 30-year-old Ferhat Ozdemircan in connection with a July sexual assault case after he allegedly posed as an Uber driver, kidnapped a woman, and then committed sexual assault under his self-proclaimed alias “Pharoah.”

Investigators previously reported that at about 1:30 a.m. on July 2, a woman was trying to secure an Uber ride home near 113 Street and Jasper Avenue when Ozdemircan offered to give her a ride in his black Audi.

Police then allege he drove her to a residential construction site in Blatchford, sexually assaulted her and left her there. They also said, at the outset of their investigation, that the suspect—now identified as Ozdemircan—told the woman that his name was “Pharoah” and that he was from Egypt.

When prompted by True North on the matter, Edmonton police refused to confirm whether Ozdemircan is a Canadian citizen.

“We do not release personal information such as citizenship or immigration status,” said an Edmonton officer with the city’s police service — suggesting the unwillingness to disclose the citizenship status of suspects is a blanket policy.

Instead, authorities have described their suspect as approximately 29 years old, with “short black hair, well-groomed facial hair, a muscular build, and an ‘Arabic’ accent.”

Police added that he was reportedly wearing a button-up long-sleeved dress shirt and dress pants and drove a black Audi, believed to be the A4 model.

Police even went as far as to release a composite sketch of the suspect on August 6.

Two days after releasing their sketch, Edmonton police arrested Ozdemircan and charged him with sexual assault, kidnapping and intimidation.

In their Wednesday statement, police did not offer whether he had a previous criminal record.

Ozdemircan was released on bail less than five days after his arrest under conditions that include a 24-hour curfew, a weapons ban and the surrender of his passport.