Police arrest 22 people, lay 185 charges in Ottawa Valley drug bust
Ontario Provincial Police say 22 people have been arrested and 185 charges have been laid following a major drug bust in the Upper Ottawa Valley.
The months-long investigation culminated with several places being searched in Pembroke, Arnprior and Renfrew on Dec. 2.
Officers seized quantities of suspected fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, crack cocaine, crystal meth and psilocybin mushrooms. Police also seized thousands of dollars in cash, Tasers, pepper spray, rifles, ammunition, replica pistols, cell phones, and drug trafficking paraphernalia such as scales and debt lists.
Police expect there will be more arrests.
"The OPP recognize the trafficking of illegal drugs has a serious impact on community safety, leading to increases in a wide spectrum of violent acts and property crimes," said OPP East Region Chief Superintendent Karl Thomas in a press release. "Any time that we disrupt a criminal operation, we send a very clear message to criminals that police—regardless of jurisdiction—will continue to identify and aggressively pursue those individuals who continue to threaten the safety of our communities."
The accused are identified as follows:
- Michelle Denise Arnold, 54, of Pembroke, Ont.
- Cody Brandon Burke, 29, of Pembroke, Ont.
- Rachelle Marie Desormeaux, 78, of Renfrew, Ont.
- Malik Khalid Gebara, 19, of Orléans, Ont.
- Thomas John Gilks, 21, of Arnprior, Ont.
- Peter William Winston Goyette, 39, of Gatineau, Que.
- Michael Gordon Greenfield, 38, of L'Isle Aux Allumettes, Que.
- Jean Gilles Lafontaine, 55, of Pembroke, Ont.
- Tammy Sue Laundrie, 57, of Renfrew, Ont.
- Thomas Laundrie, 54, of Renfrew, Ont.
- Patrick Martin Lawrence, 35, of Pembroke, Ont.
- Tammy Lynn Leclaire, 51, of Renfrew, Ont.
- Shawn James McAdam, 48, of Renfrew, Ont.
- Kyle Ambrose Peplinskie, 35, of Pembroke, Ont.
- Sarah Proksch, 25, of Pembroke, Ont.
- Jason Joseph Ranger, 47, of Pembroke, Ont.
- Matthew Ranger, 24, of Pembroke, Ont.
- Kachina Tyra Sackaney, 28, of Golden Lake, Ont.
- Heidi Alicia Scanes, 37, of Pembroke, Ont.
- Logan Anthony Stevens, 25, of Pembroke, Ont.
- Roseanne Marie Sylvester, 38, of Pembroke, Ont.
- A 17-year-old from Ajax, Ont., who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
All of the accused are facing a variety of charges. In total, 185 charges were laid between the 22 suspects.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.