Three men facing charges in gun trafficking ring in Ottawa
Three men are facing charges for allegedly importing illegal handguns from the United States and selling them on the streets of Ottawa.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, with help from Ottawa Police, launched an investigation in September 2021 into a gun trafficking network that was allegedly distributing illegal handguns in the Ottawa area.
"The firearms included handguns and firearms with no serial numbers. These types of firearms are in high demand on the streets," the RCMP said in a statement.
Two Ottawa men and a Toronto resident are facing more than 30 charges. All three men—James Kongshaw, 39, and David Lafontaine, 44, both of Ottawa, and Justin McPolin, 46, of Toronto—are jointly charged with conspiring to traffic firearms and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
Kongshaw is facing an additional 15 gun charges. The other two men are facing five additional charges each.
"The proliferation of illegal handguns into the hands of organized criminals poses a threat to public safety," RCMP Insp. Islam Issa said in a statement.
"This joint investigation is an excellent example of how law enforcement collaboration and information sharing can disrupt the flow of illegal handguns onto our streets, leading to safer communities."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Bystander livestreams during Charlotte standoff show an ever-growing appetite for social media video
Saing Chhoeun was locked out of his Charlotte, N.C., home on Monday as law enforcement with high-powered rifles descended into his yard and garage, using a car as a shield as they were met with a shower of gunfire from the direction of his neighbor's house.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Israel has briefed U.S. on plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of potential Rafah operation
Israel this week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah aimed at rooting out Hamas militants, according to U.S. officials familiar with the talks.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.