CFN – Today, the Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) – Serious and Organized Crime team (SOC) and partners announced the results of a project that dismantled alleged criminal organizations involved in the trafficking of marihuana within Canada and the smuggling of contraband tobacco between Canada and the United States.
Project O-TITAN was led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) – CRTF – Serious and Organized Crime team (SOC) in partnership with:
1) Ontario Provincial Police (OPP),
2) Cornwall Community Police Service (CCPS),
3) Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS),
4) Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and
5) Ontario Ministry of Finance
Project O-TITAN was initiated in 2012 and initially targeted individuals involved in the smuggling of contraband tobacco from the United States to the Cornwall area, and its distribution to various locations in Eastern Ontario. Through investigation, the police identified five separate groups operating together as required in the smuggling of contraband tobacco, and in the trafficking of marihuana.
During the course of the investigation, the CRTF-SOC team seized, 11,615 cartons of contraband cigarettes, over 100 pounds of marihuana, more than $52,000 in Canadian currency, four (4) firearms, seventeen (17) vehicles and two (2) boats which were involved in the commission of the offences. Two marihuana grow operations were also dismantled and the RCMP’s Integrated Proceeds of Crime Unit (IPOC) has obtained a court order to restrain a Cornwall residence which was used as a marihuana grow operation.
“This week, following a long-term investigation, a criminal organization was dismantled resulting in the arrests of involved individuals, the seizure of contraband tobacco, illicit drugs, weapons, vehicles and a home” stated Insp. Kimpan, officer in charge of the Cornwall Regional Task Force – Serious and Organized Crime team. “I wish to commend the dedicated men and women who had a part in this investigation. The success of this investigation underscores what can be accomplished when law enforcement works cooperatively towards eliminating the threat of organized crime within our cities”.
As a result of this investigation, 37 individuals from Cornwall, Bainsville, Ottawa, Prescott, South Glengarry, South Stormont, the Province of Quebec, and from the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory are facing numerous charges relating to criminal organization, smuggling of contraband tobacco, drugs, guns, forgery, and the proceeds of crime.
The following individuals were charged:
1) Blake TRUDELL, 54 years old, of Cornwall, Ontario;
2) Michael MORENCY, 24 years old of South Glengarry, Ontario;
3) Mark LAMOUREUX, 48 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
4) Stéphane BRISSON, 28 years old, Cornwall, Ontario;
5) Ryan LAPIERRE, 23 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
6) Josh GIBEAU, 25 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
7) Kevin WALKER, 41 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
8) Timothy WOODS, 41 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
9) Bradford LAUZON, 38 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
10) Steve JOHNSON, 27 years old of Akwesasne, Ontario;
11) Luc WHITE, 47 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
12) Scott TRUDELL, 38 years old of South Stormont, Ontario;
13) Casey FRAAS, 18 years old of Bainsville, Ontario;
14) Josh LAFFIN, 32 years old of Akwesasne, New York;
15) Chad LAFFIN, 31 years old of Akwesasne, New York;
16) Robert MARTINEAU, 45 years old of Morrisburg, Ontario;
17) Robert BRUN, 50 years old of Ottawa, Ontario;
18) Lloyd PILON, 66 years old of Ottawa, Ontario;
19) Gladys MULLIGAN, 40 years old of Ottawa, Ontario;
20) Lynn MEAGHER, 46 years old of Ottawa, Ontario;
21) Todd YOUNG, 39 years old of Ottawa, Ontario;
22) David MARSHALL, 47 years old of Prescott, Ontario;
23) Cory FLYNN, 42 years old of Prescott, Ontario;
24) Danielle JUBY, 36 years old of Prescott, Ontario;
25) Miranda LETCHER, 18 years old of Prescott, Ontario;
26) Christian SAUMIER, 18 years old of Prescott, Ontario;
27) Sonia BOUCHER, 44 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
28) Deborah FRANCIS, 50 years old of Akwesasne, Ontario;
29) Joshua FRANCIS, 24 years of old Akwesasne, Ontario;
30) Lynn LABRECQUE, 45 years old of Les Coteaux, Quebec;
31) Robin FLORES, 29 years old of St-Zotique, Quebec;
32) Donny CAMPEAU, 37 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
33) Mike THOMPSON, 33 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
34) Lam Tung LA, 51 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
35) Quach Ngoc LAN, 51 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
36) Nathan RILEY, 23 years old of Cornwall, Ontario;
37) Quoc Vu BUI, 37 years old of St-Hubert, Quebec;
WOW! Court costs will be through the roof.. We tax payers don’t mind.. Why don’t the police give themselves a 14% raise.. We don’t mind.. Stop wasting our money and leave these people alone. This is just plain bullying.. Legalize
Less scum on the streets now!
AWESOME JOB!!! And Nonbeliever… if anyone is entitled to a raise it’s these people who we call when we need help. Rather see it go to them then a lot of others out there. Bullying… that’s laughable. Look up a word before you use it.
I wonder how long these charges keep them off the streets….
Even if drugs were legal there would be such a humoungous problem like what is happening in Mexico and Columbia as we speak. I am for the cops who caught these scum bags and believe me there are plenty more than just these people.
first off this is for the “start believing” comment. what gives you the right to call any one of them scum. Do you know them personally? NO! Do you know the circumstances of all their charges and what they are accused of? NO! Do you know the situation that they are in and why the turn to this!!!? NO!!. Do you know if they are even guilty of any of the charges that they are accused of!!!? NO!!! So you should just sit back and collect the welfare cheque that you are receiving free and think that all is good in the world (YOUR WORLD) where you seem to be stuck in. Do you ever think that some of these people do this sort of stuff so that they can provide food and shelter for their loved ones, so that they do not have to resort to trying to survive on welfare. I don’t condone it but is has it ups for the community too. Just sit back and honestly think of it. It brings money to the businesses in the area. without them some of the restaurants and small businesses around here would not survive. Cheap cigarettes wouldn’t be available and it would mean people would need more money to buy the legal kind. And without the extra funds how do you think they would get that extra money? ROBBING YOU!!! or someone you might know. So before you open that black hole below your nose that you have turn up so high, maybe just maybe you should think before you blurt garbage out.
Anonymous 12 was the loudest comment ever on
CFN. She must be in The Menopause. And I agree that this type of police expense is ridiculous. These coppers are too focused, Leave it alone for {MODERATED} sakes. I know admin believes in his civil liberties. {MODERATED} cops.
Anonymous should say that to the government where they charge tons of money for cigarettes that I have another name for it and I will just use the word “crap”. My son pays over $80./carton for cigarettes here in Ottawa (those are the legal ones) and my husband gets cheaper cigs at Costco here in Ottawa for over $50/carton. It is all highway robbery.
I understand all too well about wanting to put food on the table and shelter over ones head and not wanting welfare or doing both but I can assure you that as one who sells this garbage you are taking years away from other people’s lives especially children. It is bad enough that Monsanto and the government is doing that to us with the food, air and water.
There is a saying that congressman Ron Paul has on his desk which explains it all: “Don’t cheat, the government doesn’t want competition” and that is so very true indeed. My husband thinks that the cheap cigs that he gets at Costco are smuggled from Cornwall and Montreal and such places and put in cartons for resale.
Maybe the rcmp should do there job and not hope that rats call every day and then they take credit for the bust
So annoynomous 12, what your saying, is because I may be on welfare because I’m a single mom, or single dad and may need assistance’s help I’m a welfare bum? Oh and basically for a city to survive we need cheap cigarettes? Please, GET a Life….I hope next time you get caught…Life sucks ya, but maybe you want to try an HONEST Job ….Eventually my dear it all comes to an end, and most of these dirt bags end up in Jail and when they get out, they live like me…on welfare…A bum you call it…
If you are against smoking marijuana, you are most likely uneducated in this matter. I am not calling anyone stupid or anything. Some one dies every couple of seconds from smoking tobacco. There has never been a reported death from directly smoking marijuana. Every couple minutes some one dies from drinking alcohol. There is no medical benefits from tobacco. Very limited benefits from consuming alcohol. There are numerous health benefits from smoking marijuana. I recommend the non believers to watch a movie called “Legalize it”. If you don’t want to watch it, take ten minutes and look it up. The worst side effect of marijuana is the munchies. Better then lung cancer or psoriasis of the liver.
Just think of the taxes the government would make. Increase local revenue. People would go to a store and buy a pack of joints and munchies at the same time.
Be Realistic
Looks like a couple of jobs are available,
cig smugglers are not the crooks here, the government is the largest legalized mafia in the world they got us all hooked on these things when they were so readily available and affordable at 50 cents a pack to now 10$ on average, these guys are robin hood as far as i am concerned giving back to the people at a price they can afford to low income families single mother and the less fortunate, they are not hurting anyone except the government who have been screwing us for centuries, they are also the safest drivers on the road hahah thanks boys (contraband cowboys) 🙂
Attention to “it doesn’t matter”
first off if you can actually read, not once did I mention the word BUM for anyone on welfare.
Second off, I never mentioned anything about me being involved in it. So before you assume something get your facts straight. And yes Cornwall wouldn’t survive dumbass without the illegal cigarettes in this city (ask any store or restaurant owner) because the businesses wouldn’t survive with just people on welfare. Because if you are on welfare, be honest, when was the last time you went out for supper and was able to afford a $100 dollar dinner bill for 2 adults and say 1 child….exactly! And third off I HAVE A HONEST JOB. I have been working since I was 14 and I have never been on social assistance. So there you go assuming something you have no knowledge about. You should just contact “Start Believing” and maybe between the two of you, you will be able to come up with something intelligent to say. Not likely but there is hope…I guess.
To WOW, I am a guy.
Big D….great comment, made me laugh.
Note to Start Believing – the WORST “scum” – as you call people – is still on the streets. Pedophiles and murderers get slapped on the wrist and released back to the public on a daily basis. Child care workers abuse children and walk away with no criminal charges or minor ones. Crooked politicians at every level support
their “buddies” businesses handing out taxpayers’ money like candy. The problem with this whole criminal justice system as I see it is that we focus on material things – especially anything that gives government less of taxpayers money to spend. The valuable things – such as children – really have no value in the system. People smuggle cigarettes and go to prison. Abuse, injure or kill a child, rob and destroy private homes and you either get no time because you have a “mental” issue or are back out on the streets shortly.
It is a sad statement for our community that individuals have to turn to crime to earn(?) an income and sadder still that our community feels it has to depend on the income from crime to survive.
Having said that, this is not the prohibition era where rum runners were considered modern day Robin Hoods reacting to an unjust law. If you break the law you are a criminal and you suffer the consequences when you get caught. If you don’t like the law then you vote for your political party of choice to change the law.
“Seen Enough Through the Years” you are absolutely right in all what you said.
Not everyone in past years was on welfare and they were smuggling. Many were Domtar employees, etc. As for collecting welfare people have to live.
The real welfare gang is on Parliament Hill collecting 6 figure salaries and all the perks to boot and we the little people are paying for those bunch of low life crooks.
The little people on welfare are mostly struggling and they are not the ones who could afford those speed boats and the gas to put in them to go out and do the smuggling. They may be the one who does the delivery for them and that is about all. People have to eat and have a roof over their heads and welfare doesn’t pay for either of those of what they dole out. The real bums are on Parliament Hill.
I had to have a good laugh about those well to do who live in the Westboro area of Ottawa were complaining about squirrels and they were trapping them in cages and they were bringing them over to Québec and someone wrote in a blog that it is best to get rid of the nuts in Ottawa first before sending over the squirrels. LOL LOL. How very true indeed. LOL LOL.
It would seem that the type of money it would take to organize such a “sting” would be better spent on creating employment in this city. In my neighbourhood (in Cornwall) the smell of crack is much stronger than the smell of pot. Give your fuc ing heads a shake!!!!
if you deal Marijuana you get arrested and embarrassed.. yet if you’re a conservative senator and take a bribe for $90K… you offer an apology and walk free and everything is forgotten…what a country!!
Bang on Reg, “ya do the crime, ya do the time” ! I have not a tinkle of pity for them ! Let them get a legal job, like most of us ? Hopefully, when they appear in court, (if they show) here’s hoping that the Judge, was awake all night with a wicked tooth-ache & he throws the preverbial book at them . lol
p.s. , oh ya, if their found guilty……..
Thumbs up, “TASK FORCE”
Someone here said that marijuana is not addictive and that depends on the person. I remember in my senior year of high school back in the later 60’s a boy that went to school with me was always stoned on hashish. He said that his brother in law provided him with the drug. The history teacher knew all about him being stoned as well as the other teachers. I met that history teacher here in Ottawa when I was expecting for my son and we were at a gas station in the evening with my husband and he laughed about those days. I don’t know how the boy got through high school under that influence.
Yes crack is a greater problem in Ottawa and elsewhere and I agree with you.
About jobs things are pretty dead here in Ottawa as well and my daughter along with her co-workers are still out of work. Cornwall has died when Domtar, Courthaulds and other industries closed down. Industries are not coming back and I heard that they are going to send them over to Bankok Thailand where it is even cheaper to do business and that the Chinese are gaining ground in salaries.
@REG COFFEY.
Careful REG sounds a lot like common sense .
Reg Coffey isn’t it strange that JFK’s father was one of the bootleggers during prohibition and he made his fortune that way. When it comes to the rest of us then we are considered as criminals. I admired JFK and tears run in my eyes when I think about him being assassinated but his old man did mighty bad things and people of the past generations before our day have never forgotten what the old man did.
I am very much against drugs and always will be but I can see in a way why people turn to such a thing. The Kennedy family had no reason to do that – they were always well off but the little people who have no job to turn to are stuck in a hole. Here in Ottawa there are no jobs. Things are really bad and Cornwall is even worse. My brother in law called us from Australia this evening and he said the same thing is true over in Sydney. People cannot survive on welfare and pay huge rents, etc. and food. You just can’t. My rent here in Ottawa is humoungous and the owner’s expenses are as well but the little people cannot continue in this way – something has to happen and something is going to happen and it isn’t good news at all. I won’t say what it is – read your Bible and you have to figure it out which I already know.
referring to all you people who has called us scumbags I was one of the scumbags I have a family of 7 children I was not collecting no from of assistant from the government as welfare or odsp a year ago had a stroke which prevented me from returning to work with a family so large and no assistant which I refuse to collect and no money coming in I chose to smuggle I did not have to work 80 hours a week to support my family because I could not do that because of the stoke which left me with out my memory so 2 hour a day was not hard to do oppose to 80 hours a week that is a lot more that fourteen hours a week I hurt no one but my self and family and working just a few hours a day I could spend a lot more time with my children and wife since I do not have that much time left with cause of my stroke my family always comes first and all I was doing was smuggling cigarette no drugs or guns or people the only people I hurt was the government which sell cigarettes them self corner stores sell cigarettes I just cut out the middle man and a hell of a lot of people get cheaper cigarettes so they have more money to spend more money on there families so they buy more food pay bills most of the people in cornwall are mostly on sum form of assistance or other which the government run and low income working families in cornwall in which the government take 27% of your pay every week and when you go to any store and buy anything you pay 15% taxes so there is 42% of what you make working at 10.25 min 4.31 every hour you work so that leaves you5.94 per hour so that leaves 237.60 if you work a 40 hour week so if I work 80 hour a week that would give me 475.20 a week a family of 7 can not live on you try it with a stoke doctors told me I could not do the government controls the min wag so ho is the scumbags but while I work smuggling I was not on any from of assistance and could not work as a father I provide for my family the best way with out hurting anybody but the government which take almost 50% of what you bring home every week so who are the scumbags
One of the scumbag I sympathize with your situation and having 7 kids is no picnic and when I was a child back in the 50’s and 60’s era I knew of families of 18, 21 and 22 kids and they managed very well to get by and many had to take their kids out of school to go and work to help provide for the family and all I will say is that there is one in particular that you all know and I get down on my knees and appreciate the living hell that this man and his family and others went through and they didn’t smuggle or hurt others.
Yes the government steals from the people and I know that fully well. I live in Ottawa where the cost of living is astronomical and no work. People are hurting badly all over the world and this is a depression and not a recession. The unemployment statistics are really double and triple to what the government is telling the people and is only going to get worse.
People in the past knew how to live and if you are living in a house make a garden to feed your family and learn how to can and quilt and be as self sufficient as you can. People survive in other countries where there are no social programs and families all live together for support of all kinds. People here in Canada have life pretty good and there is no starvation in Canada as yet. Pray to the good Lord for help as well – pray for His guidance.
We pay very big money for our cigarettes here in our family and we try to get them at the store as cheap as possible – we don’t want smuggled garbage. You made a mistake and a terrible one and if they put you in jail then where is your family going to turn to except welfare or the streets. You put yourself in that position and now you will have to face the consequences. Nobody made the 7 kids for you – you and your wife did that. Rents here in Ottawa are astronomical and many left because it is unaffordable and no work.
jules when I started this I knew what the consequences were and I am more than willing to face it no matter what and I am not looking for sympathy I have a way of life and follow it if you can not do the time don’t do the crime but what they want to give me is pretty harsh 10 to 20 years for cigarettes but I am ready
I am a single Mom of 2 and I seen so much chaos and self-destruction in this city and anywhere else where the Gvt is concerned. If people would stand up for themselves and come together to fight for our country as a whole then we would not be electing the “biggits” we happen to be voting for would we?! I never voted, so frankly, I don’t care. They are all “crooks” in my eyes. I agree that it isn’t easy unfortunately to get a good, paying job when you’re limited to what is available. By bringing in more businesses, manufacturers, warehouses, etc.then perhaps, we would have less of a percentage of people relying on such a corrupted, fixated social assistance just for an example. Where
and how can anyone survive on such poor help by our so-called government when most of that goes back to them anyways!! People have to survive, that is a fact of life. I for one, had no choice with circumstances as they arrived, I done all I could to support my kids first but when now even with the cutbacks cause so many have taken advantage of the system, as a result for the ones who have, make everyone else pay for their abuse. No one can just live on welfare and say they are doing alright when you have to pay ends meet,bills just like everyone in this world. When without work, they wonder why we end up turning to such resorts as quote “breaking the law” to keep afloat and survive!?! Common sense, from what I know and see is either you want to work and sometimes can’t cause there are no damn jobs and have to rely to get some kind of financial help or have the ones who could care less and rely on the system to simply just drink and smoke it up cause they can’t live a “normal” life without proper help. Mind you, some do it intentionally and others are left in such poverty and debt cause the government is too damn corrupt to fix the “real problems” like getting new jobs?!
My point of view is our government are so far up their butts and who do you think pays their salaries??? Greed is the root of all evil. I believe we do what we can as a society to survive instead of living. So, unless they sold crack or harsh drugs which maybe the police forces need to crack down more on those toxic people and away from our children than be worrying about damn cigarettes and marijuana!!!! I agree that, we as a society are left with little help or good jobs out there and forced to do what we have to do to survive in desperate times but you still have to unfortunately take accountability for breaking the law when caught. Maybe, next time people, don’t vote for those corrupted people either who can’t actually fight for the people and getting more jobs!!! Prove me wrong otherwise but they are all crooks in my eyes. Society is so messed up!! With killers and pedophiles get better treatment only to give other people harsher penalties for means of survival!?! Wonder where those smokes and weed they confiscated go to huh!?! Harsh reality people wake up!!
one of the scumbags what you do not know as well as the rest in Cornwall and many parts of Canada is that there are drones in the sky and they are following everyones move and you cannot run nor hide you always get caught especially with today’s technology.
I sure do understand where you are coming from and you have such pride not to take social assistance of some sort. There is no sin in taking social assistance and if you are disabled like you say you are then you can get ODSP. My dad was on that system for years and yes it is best to work but when you are sick then you have no other alternative.
The government doesn’t give a hoot about the people and that includes the local government of Bare Ass Kilger. He has put Cornwall in a terrible shape and businesses cannot keep up with the taxes and the people haven’t seen anything yet and when or if they do their eyes will pop out of their sockets and wonder how they are going to pay for things. The people know nothing what is coming down their way. We have seen nothing yet.
I wouldn’t want to be in your place to face jail term and that is no place for anyone decent. I laughed and cried and cursed over Willie Wise with whom I knew from high school for a short time because I went to three different high schools. Willie deserves what he gets along with others who were with him on all the schemes. Things will catch up with the rest since they cannot hide for long.
If you think about your family and that they are important to you you would have thought long and hard before doing this. What good is it having their dad or husband behind bars for God knows how long and how you will come out if ever alive.
Politicians do much worse than what you did and former US President Ronald Reagan classified politics as the second oldest profession but the first one was more enjoyable. LOL LOL. Politicians are so mighty crooked nowadays and worldwide – Satan has inhabited himself in them all.
I hope that the judge takes it more easy on your case and you will have to explain things to him or her. Believe me everyone is hurting including ourselves. The best thing is to have a good, strong will to get by. A neighbor of mine in a bachelor apartment went to university and took something in health and no job here in Ottawa. I saw him with suitcases packed the other day and I think that he moved out. Life is a struggle for all of us. Make sure that your family is taken care of in case something happens to you. Think before you do something ever again – crime does not pay for us little people. You would be shocked out of your mind what the world’s leaders do and get away with. There is a law for the rich and one for the poor and this present world sucks to high heaven. You take care and I hope that you learned a very valuable lesson out of this.
Lots of feathers flying lol… Prohibition is a war on people. No war, no problems. Until then our streets will be run by the gangstas/police. One in the same.
Well first off calling them scum is what it is. Everyone has an opinion. Second defending them saying ” Do you know the situation they were in”? Either your with one of them that got caught or you are just lucky you didn’t get caught. One of those people that did get caught has a very successful business and has been doing what he was doing for a very very long time. I feel bad for the minors but if you want to play the game you have to do the time also. I find it funny though that the list is so short so there must be many more going to be arrested or the ones that got caught can thank a rat in the hen house.
I just wanted to also say that the topic went from people getting busted to economics to politicians. Believe you me I’m not saying that all of them are not criminals or greedy and their misdeeds don’t deserve punishments either. These people got caught through a long ass investigation, people ratting people out and just cop work ( either good or bad ). YOu do illegal crap then you also know what can happen if you get caught. The funny part is when you talk with these people they are laughs and jokes about what they are doing and believe that people will back them when in time of troubles. Most times the bigger busts can be traced back to a little guy ratting out the next guy. Illegal or not it’s still a a chain of authority. Most people have a Prime Minister and 20% of the rest have a Boss. Like the old saying goes if you wanna make money it’s easiest when it’s illegal and much more profitable. Making money the right way is 1/4 much and 3 times a long. I don’t condom what they did but everyone needs to live. How you do it is just how you do it.
I feel so much safer knowing that some weed and ciggies have been taken off the streets.
i know one of the people caught and one who wasnt caught …yet. neither needed the money to live or support kids or eat etc… they did it for the dollars!! now one is caught and he is an idiot anyways so i hope they throw the book at him!! he wont be a ‘bigshot’ in prison. he will be holding some guys belt loop as his little bitch.