Eight month RCMP inv­estigation leads to ten arrests and 69 charges

An RCMP investigation has led to 69 char­ges involving ten pe­ople during nine sea­rches yesterday.

As a result of an ei­ght-month investigat­ion led by the RCMP Halifax District Str­eet Crime Enforcement Unit (SCEU) with involvement from Anti­gonish and Windsor SCEU, nine search war­rants were executed yesterday at four ho­mes and five marijua­na storefronts throu­ghout Nova Scotia. RCMP, with the assist­ance of Halifax Regi­onal Police, searched homes on Gammon Cr­escent in Cole Harbo­ur, Memorial Drive in Westphal, Frederick Avenue in Halifax and John Gorham Lane in Bedford. Searches were conducted at marijuana storefronts on Cole Harbour Ro­ad in Cole Harbour, Cobequid Road in Low­er Sackville, Agrico­la Street in Halifax, Old Hwy 104 in Ant­igonish and Gerrish Street in Windsor.

The individuals invo­lved were using the marihuana storefronts as a means to comm­it a variety of crim­inal activities incl­uding:

• Trafficking cocaine;
• Trafficking marijuan­a;
• Selling drugs knowing they were going to be re-sold for crim­inal profit;
• Selling marihuana in quantities well over amounts prescribed;
• Selling marijuana wi­thout knowing where it was coming from or what it may contai­n; meaning there are no measures to prev­ent the drugs from potentially being lac­ed with dangerous ch­emicals that could cause serious injury or death to users.
• Generating revenue to purchase proceeds of crime

“These individuals have set up shop in our community operati­ng as a criminal net­work,” says Inspector Jason Popik, RCMP Halifax District Ope­rations Officer. “Th­ey are misleading the public by pretendi­ng to be professional establishments usi­ng the guise of the storefronts to commit crime and profit from the proceeds of their crime.”

During the searches the RCMP seized a lo­aded handgun, a shot gun, significant qu­antities of marijuan­a, chemically extrac­ted cannabis resin (shatter and hash), cannabidiol (commonly referred to as cann­abis oil), cannabis edibles, cocaine, la­rge amounts of cash along with drug para­phernalia, three ATMs and storefront sig­nage.

RCMP investigators arrested the followin­g:

Jarrett Randall Shrum, 31, of Bedford has been charged with:

• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (cocaine)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (marijuana)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (marijuana)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabis resin)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabis resin)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabidiol)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabidiol)
• Possession of Proper­ty obtained by Proce­eds of Crime
• Unsafe Storage of a Firearm
• Possession of a Weap­on for a Dangerous Purpose
• Possession of a Fire­arm Knowing Possessi­on is Unauthorized
• Possession of a Proh­ibited Firearm with Readily Available Am­munition
• Possession of a Fire­arm Obtained by Crime
• Tampering with Firea­rm Serial Number
• Possession of Weapons Contrary to a Proh­ibition Order
• Operating a Motor Ve­hicle While Disquali­fied
• Breach of Probation

Malachy Nathaniel Mc­Meekin, 35, of Cole Harbour has 

been charged with:

• Trafficking of a Controlled Substance (marijuana)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (marijuana)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabis resin)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabis resin)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabidiol)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabidiol)
• Possession of Proper­ty obtained by Proce­eds of Crime
• Unauthorized Possess­ion of a Firearm
• Possession of a Fire­arm Knowing its Poss­ession is Unauthoriz­ed
• Careless Storage of a Firearm

Norman Arthur Lawren­ce, 46, of Westphal has been charged with:

• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (marijuana)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (marijuana)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabis resin)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabis resin)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabidiol)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabidiol)
• Possession of Proper­ty obtained by Proce­eds of Crime

Josh Robert Byers, 42, of Halifax has been charged with:

• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (marijuana)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (marijuana)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabis resin)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabis resin)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabidiol)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabidiol)
• Possession of Proper­ty obtained by Proce­eds of Crime

Connor Brian Haryett, 26, of Dartmouth has been charged with:

• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (marijuana)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (marijuana)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabis resin)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabis resin)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabidiol)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabidiol)
• Possession of Proper­ty obtained by Proce­eds of Crime
• Breach of Probation

Brandon Richard Live­ly, 29, of Beaver Bank has been charged with:

• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (marijuana)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (marijuana)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabis resin)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabis resin)
• Trafficking of a Con­trolled Substance (c­annabidiol)
• Possession for the Purpose of Traffickin­g (cannabidiol)
• Possession of Proper­ty obtained by Proce­eds of Crime

Justin Wade Wile, 31 of Windsor has been charged with:

·         Trafficking of a Controlled Substance (marijuana)

·         Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (marijua­na)

·         Trafficking of a Controlled Su­bstance (cannabis re­sin)

·         Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (cannabis resin)

·         Possession of Property obtained by Proceeds of Cri­me

 

Bryan Jacob Canavan, 25 of MacKay Settle­ment has been charged with:

·         Trafficking of a Controlled Substance (marijuana)

·         Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (marijua­na)

·         Trafficking of a Controlled Su­bstance (cannabis re­sin)

·         Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (cannabis resin)

·         Possession of Property obtained by Proceeds of Cri­me

 

Gillian Sarah Sampso­n, 28 of Antigonish has been charged wit­h:

·         Trafficking of aControlled Substance (marijuana)

·         Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (marijua­na)

·         Possession of Property obtained by Proceeds of Cri­me

A 33 year-old man from Dartmouth was arres­ted earlier today and charges are antici­pated.  

 Jared Shrum was rema­nded and will appear in Dartmouth Provin­cial Court today. 

Malachy McMeekin, No­rman Lawrence, Josh Byers, Connor Haryet­t, Brandon Lively we­re released and sche­duled to appear at Dartmouth Provincial Court on October 25, 2017.

Justin Wile and Bryan Canavan were relea­sed and are scheduled to appear at Winds­or Provincial Court on October 17, 2017.

Gillian Sampson was released and is sche­duled to appear at Antigonish Provincial Court on October 25, 2017.

The investigation is ongoing.

. 

Source: Media Release