u/Crimenewz6ix

A ServiceOntario employee is among four people who have been charged in an investigation into the resale of stolen, re‑vinned vehicles across the province.

The investigation, dubbed “Project Tailwind,” was initiated in March after police received allegations of the fraudulent registration of stolen vehicles.

OPP say the investigation revealed that documents required to complete Ontario’s vehicle registration process were being improperly obtained and misused. Officers allege these documents were used to attach new vehicle identification numbers (VIN) to stolen vehicles, allowing them to be registered with the Ministry of Transportation, sold and driven on public roads.

Changing a VIN conceals the vehicle’s identity, police say, making it appear legitimate.

The Ministry of Public Business Service Delivery and Procurement (MPBSDP), which oversees vehicle registration in Ontario, assisted in the investigation.

“This investigation highlights the extent to which vehicle identification information can be misused to disguise stolen vehicles and reintroduce them into the marketplace,” OPP Chief Superintendent Mike Stoddart said in a press release.

Four search warrants were executed at residences in Maple, Brampton and Kitchener, as well as one vehicle. During the searches, six stolen vehicles were recovered along with multiple electronic devices.

The four accused face charges related to breach of trust, use of forged documents and trafficking of property obtained by crime.

“Frauds such as these can have substantial impacts on victims, leaving unsuspecting buyers with significant financial losses,” Stoddart said.
“We encourage the public to take steps to safeguard themselves when purchasing a used vehicle.”

The investigation is ongoing.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11849860/serviceontairo-worker-charged-vehicle-fraud-investigation/

The Ontario government says it has found a way to add some 2,500 new beds to its jail system over the next decade by adding new beds to existing facilities, rescoping planned projects and adding temporary or modular structures.

On Thursday afternoon, Solicitor General Michael Kerzner unveiled the new, $3 billion strategy amidst growing capacity concerns across the provincial correctional facility.

“Together, building on the significant capacity already brought online and the projects previously announced, this represents an over 24 per cent increase over the current capacity, bringing the total number of beds in the system up to 13,153,” he told reporters.

Through the announcement, the government said it would add 255 new permanent beds at existing facilities by November this year, as well as 1,703 beds later by reworking the scope of current procurements and 610 beds through “rapid builds” on the grounds of existing jails.

Among the changes will be a move to add what the government is referring to as “tensile structures” on the grounds of current jails.

The massive, tent-like buildings will be secure, Kerzner said, adding one has already been set up.
“They’re not tents,” he told reporters. “It’s a tensile membrane which is almost a permanent structure. You can see one that exists now in the London Elgin Middlesex jail.”

As Global News previously reported, part of the plan will include retrofitting some jails designed to host two inmates and adding a third bunk.
That policy, which will essentially make the controversial practise of triple-bunking the norm in some facilities, has been criticized by one advocate for moving the goal posts.

“They are adding this third bunk in a cell that isn’t likely to be designed for having three people in the cell, other than having a couple extra screws in the wall,” Justin Piché, full-time professor in the University of Ottawa’s department of criminology, told Global News.

“This is a recipe for increased tension and violence impacting on prison people and staff, which hardly bodes well for community safety down the road. And hardly bodes well for how the courts are going to view this.”

Kerzner said he wasn’t worried that retrofitting to accommodate more inmates would put undue pressure on existing systems like bathrooms or rec rooms.

“As part of any build-out, we’ll make sure there are facilities for the staff and to make sure that the inmates are housed appropriately,” he said.
Documents obtained by The Canadian Press show the province has even grander plans for jails, aiming to add nearly 6,000 jail beds by 2050 at an unknown cost.

Recent data obtained through freedom-of-information laws show the province’s jails are bursting, with the average jail capacity for 2025 at 127 per cent.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11849388/ontario-jail-expansion-plan/

Police in Toronto say they arrested someone after a gun was fired and took them to hospital with an unrelated injury after an incident in the centre of the city early Thursday morning.

Around 3:10 a.m. on Thursday, Toronto police were called to the area of Queen and Bathurst streets to respond to reports of gunshots being heard.

They found a man at the scene and arrested him for discharging a firearm. Officers said he was then taken to hospital, although the injury was not related.

Investigators found evidence that the gun had been fired at the scene, but saw no other injuries.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11849261/queen-bathurst-firearm-toronto/

A man has been arrested after an off-leash dog killed a smaller dog and injured its owner in an unprovoked attack this week, Toronto police say.

In a news release Wednesday, police said the 40-year-old man has been charged with: criminal negligence causing bodily harm; obstructing, interrupting or interfering with the lawful use, enjoyment or operation of property; obstructing a police officer; dog bite a person; and failing to prevent dog from biting or attacking.

"The dog is still at large. Officers are working with Toronto Animal Services, and efforts to locate the dog continue," police said in the release.

Police said they have no information about the relationship between the dog and the accused.
In a public safety alert earlier Wednesday, police warned the off-leash dog, a brown Pit Bull mix, could be dangerous or aggressive.

Police said officers responded to calls of an assault near Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue W. at about 4:10 p.m. Tuesday.

Ring camera video obtained by CBC Toronto shows the attack happened outside a community centre.
The small dog was killed as a result of the attack, police said. In the alert, police said the off-leash dog remains

"unaccounted for." The alert also describes the off-leash dog as "abandoned," but the video shows the dog was with someone at the time of the attack.

Dog sprinted toward someone pushing stroller: video

The ring camera video shows a person walking with an off-leash dog moments before it sprints through a railing toward someone pushing a stroller and walking with the smaller dog.

A woman can be heard screaming in the video as the person walking with the off-leash dog runs over to pull it away. The person is later seen dragging the dog away by its collar.

Nik Watritsch, a local resident, said the attack could have been prevented.

"It's not the dog's fault. He just wasn't trained properly," Watritsch said. "It's a sad situation."
Anyone who sees the off-leash dog is being warned not to approach it and to call police immediately.
Sagi Denenberg, a veterinary psychiatrist, said there have been a few examples of off-leash dogs attacks in Toronto in recent years. In many cases, the situation has built up over time, he said.

"Many times dogs like that already have pre-existing problems. It's not the first time that they went after another dog," Denenberg said.

Denenberg said keeping a dog on a leash, or even using a muzzle, would prevent such incidents, adding dogs can be rehabilitated.
"Owners are usually aware that there is a problem," he said.

"You can help most dogs to a degree, some with greater success, some with less success, but unless the owner is willing to do that, unless the owner is taking an active role, spending the time and effort to do that, it will never get better. And that's where, unfortunately, many of those situations fail."
Animal services helping to find dog
Police said they are working with Toronto Animal Services to try to find the dog.

Esther Attard, director at Toronto Animal Services, said the organization is saddened by the death of a dog and the injuries to its owner.

"Our thoughts are with them and their family," she said. "We know this is concerning for the community."

Attard added that the city is committed to keeping people and pets safe through education and enforcement, and that bylaw officers patrol, promote responsible pet ownership and take action where necessary.

Dog owners should keep their pets leashed and under control in public she added. Concerns about dangerous dogs can be reported to 311.
Investigators urge anyone with information to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

On its website, the city says a fine of up to $615 can be issued to an owner for allowing a dog to run off-leash except in a designated off-leash area.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-off-leash-abandoned-dog-search-9.7197734

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Ontario Provincial Police have laid drug trafficking charges against a 21-year-old man and two youths after cannabis, drugs and a large amount of cash were found in their vehicle.

Police say officers stopped a vehicle Monday shortly after 11 p.m. on Highway 417 near St. Laurent Boulevard.

Officers say they suspected the driver was impaired after observing the vehicle driving erratically.

After conducting a traffic stop, police say they found cannabis and other drugs in “plain view.”

The drugs and $7,000 worth of cash were seized by the OPP.The suspects are expected to appear in court at a later date.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/opp-seize-drugs-7k-in-cash-after-traffic-stop-on-hwy-417-in-ottawa/

The two Ottawa men accused of murdering another man found in a park in Perth, Ont., may be in B.C., Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say.

In a Sunday news release, police said investigators believe that 34-year-old Joseph Madore is currently in B.C., adding he has known associations in the Richmond, Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Terrace areas.

Police said that the other man accused in the case, 28-year-old Brayton Kennedy, may be travelling with Madore or may still be in the Ottawa area.

On April 12, police officers were called to Last Duel Park in Perth and found 34-year-old Christo Allison Richards with life-threatening injuries. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Later that month, OPP said Madore and Kennedy were charged with second-degree murder and issued arrest warrants for the two.

Police said they believe the death was a targeted incident.

They are asking members of the public to get in touch with information about the whereabouts of Madore and Kennedy but cautioning against approaching the pair.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/2-ottawa-men-wanted-for-murder-may-be-in-b-c-says-opp-9.7194418

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Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged a third man in connection with a death last month in Perth, while two other men previously accused in the case remain at large.

On Tuesday, the OPP announced it had arrested and charged 46-year-old Michael Lewis in the death of 34-year-old Christo Allison Richards of Ottawa. Richards was found with life-threatening injuries in Perth's Last Duel Park on April 12.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Lewis is charged with conspiracy to commit murder. He was scheduled to appear in Perth court on Tuesday.

In late April, the OPP announced they had charged but not yet apprehended Joseph Madore, 34, and Brayton Kennedy, 28. Both Ottawa men have been accused of second degree murder.

As of Tuesday, they were still not in custody.
Police believe Madore is currently in B.C. and has

"known associations" in the Richmond, Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Terrace areas. 
Kennedy may be traveling with him or could have remained in Ottawa, OPP added in a release. 

“If seen, do not approach," they wrote. “Anyone with information regarding their whereabouts is urged to contact police immediately.”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/3rd-person-charged-in-death-of-ottawa-man-in-perth-2-other-accused-remain-at-large-9.7196970

An Ottawa police officer convicted of assaulting a man nearly five years ago will have to resign or he’ll be fired after losing the appeal of his dismissal.Const.

Goran Beric was found guilty of assault and assault with a weapon in October 2023 in connection to an incident involving a man at an Ottawa Community Housing building in August 2021. He received a suspended sentence with 30 months probation.

In 2025, Beric pleaded guilty to three counts of discreditable conduct and two counts of insubordination under the Code of Conduct for police. A hearing officer ordered Beric to resignfrom the force within seven days or be fired.Beric appealed the penalty, and a hearing was held on Jan. 15.In a decision released on Friday, May 8, the Ontario Police Arbitration and Adjudication Commission panel dismissed the appeal, ruling the hearing officer’s “decision on penalty was reasonable.”The ruling said Beric’s lawyers argued the hearing officer failed to “appropriately consider” the officer’s “prospect of rehabilitation.”

“The hearing officer fairly considered the appellant’s rehabilitative potential. We do not accept that there was a ‘specific, structured, rehabilitative plan on the record,’” the ruling said.“

More generally, we find the hearing officer appropriately considered the appellant’s rehabilitative potential within the context of the other considerations relating to penalty. The hearing officer properly set out the key considerations when imposing penalty: the seriousness of the misconduct, the ability to reform or rehabilitate the officer, and the impact to the reputation of the police service that will occur if the officer remains a member of the police service.”

The plan also ruled the hearing officer did not fail to “apportion proper weight to mitigating and aggravating factors” and “did not err in considering relevant precedents.”Beric was found guilty of assaulting a man while responding to a call at an Ottawa Community Housing complex on Bronson Avenue on August 4, 2021. Beric struck the man with his closed baton and stepped on his neck for two minutes and five seconds to hold him down.In the 28-page decision by the hearing officer, released in May 2025, retired Ontario Provincial Police Supt. M.P.B. Elbers ruled that,

“in light of the seriousness of the allegations,” Beric will be fired from the Ottawa Police Service if he does not resign within seven days. “

The conduct exhibited by this officer while on duty in Ottawa is deplorable and will cause damage to the reputation of the Ottawa Police Service,” Supt. Elbers said in the decision.“

The credibility of officers that conduct investigations and act inappropriately can have an adverse effect on the officer and those in attendance. Further, this incident was reported in the media, resulting in the embarrassment of the Ottawa Police Service.”Beric has been a member of the Ottawa Police Service since 2006.

According to the Ontario Salary Disclosure, Beric earned $131,149 in 2025 while suspended.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/ottawa-police-officer-fired-following-assault-conviction-loses-appeal/?cid=sm%3Atrueanthem%3Actvottawa%3Atwitterpost&taid=6a0452c932982f000154965b&utm\_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm\_medium=trueAnthem&utm\_source=twitter

An employee of an armoured vehicle company was shot early Wednesday morning at a bank in Waterloo, Ont.

Gunshots rang out at the Scotiabank branch near Fischer Hallman Road and Erb Street West around 2:30 a.m.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service said an injured 25-year-old man was transported to a hospital outside the region.

“The victim, an employee of the armoured vehicle company, had been approached by multiple unknown individuals and was subsequently shot,” they wrote in a media release.

Inspector Alison Sproule described the man’s injuries as “significant,” but believed he was now in stable condition.

Police called it a targeted robbery involving at least four suspects.

No descriptions of those individuals have been shared with the media.

GardaWorld confirmed one of their vehicles was involved in a “security incident.”

“The safety and wellbeing of our employees remain our highest priority, and we are focused on supporting the affected crew member, their family, and our local team, while fully cooperating with law enforcement,” they said in an email to CTV News. “As this is an active police investigation, we are unable to share further details at this time.”

The bank also emailed a statement to CTV News.“ At Scotiabank, the safety and security of our employees, partners and clients is our top priority,” they wrote. “ We are working closely with law enforcement as they investigate.”

Police asked anyone who witnessed the shooting, or has security video of the area, to call 519-570-9777.

They also said their Break, Enter, Auto Theft and Robbery Unit, as well as the General Investigations Unit, are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.With reporting by Karis Mapp

https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/one-person-shot-in-waterloo-suspects-still-on-the-loose/

A shooting in Vaughan has left two people dead, York Regional Police say.

Emergency crews were called to Kaiser Drive shortly after 5:30 p.m. for reports of shots fired outside a residence.

When officers arrived, they located two victims suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police say.

The victims were later pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not identified them.No suspect information has been released.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting are unclear at this time.

One area resident described hearing multiple consecutive gunshots.“At first, you hear one gunshot, then it kinda like stops,” the resident, who was getting ready inside his home at the time of the shooting, told CP24.“

Then like two, three seconds later, you hear like four, five, six in a row kinda just out of nowhere.”He remembered seeing dozens of police cruisers and ambulances arriving when he went out to check what was happening.“

I’ve never seen it before,” he said. Police say they will have a large presence as the homicide unit investigates the shooting.

https://www.cp24.com/local/york/2026/05/13/2-people-dead-after-shooting-in-vaughan/

New video of an off-leash dog attack in Toronto that left another small dog dead and its owner injured has been obtained by CTV News.

The video surfaced after police issued a warning about an “abandoned off-leash dog” following an incident Tuesday afternoon near Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue West.

Police said the larger dog, described as a brown pit bull mix, attacked a smaller dog and its owner without provocation.

The smaller dog was killed and the owner sustained non-life-threatening injuries.In the video, the larger dog can be seen walking ahead of its owner without a leash as it charged towards the smaller dog.

The smaller dog is being walked by an owner who appears to be pushing a stroller.

A witness said the owner of the dog that attacked “punched” their pet multiple times to get it off the other dog.“ It was just terrible,” the witness, who asked not to be identified, told CP24. “

The owner had the dog by the collar. Didn’t have a leash, just a collar, and he was whacking the dog two or three times…and the kids were there screaming, and the woman, she was on the ground.”The dog that attacked has not been found.

Police say they’re working with animal services to locate it.It’s unclear if the missing dog’s owner has spoken with police.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-1200 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026/05/13/video-surfaces-of-off-leash-dog-attack-in-toronto-that-left-pet-dead/

Peel Regional Police have arrested two people in connection with counterfeit licence plates that are linked to at least 30 criminal investigations across Canada.

A police probe into an online business selling the plates was launched in the fall of 2025 following what investigators say were “numerous isolated incidents” throughout the summer.

The investigation culminated in a search warrant on April 7. Officers attended two addresses in Hamilton where two people were arrested.

Both suspects were charged with unlawfully making marks, selling or possessing counterfeit marks, affixing a mark and possession of property obtained by crime.

They were released pending future court appearances.

Det. Const. Philip Menecola said the two accused were believed to be the operators of the online business.

During the investigation, police say they seized items used to produce and distribute counterfeit licence plates, currency, plate-pressing equipment, fraudulent blank plates, promotional materials, vehicles and other related items.

“Counterfeit licence plates pose a serious threat to public safety,” PRP Deputy Chief Marc Andrews said in a press release. “This investigation underscores the strong collaboration between our specialized units and frontline officers, and our shared commitment to identifying those responsible and holding them fully accountable.”

Police allege the counterfeit licence plates have been used in offences involving fraud, organized auto theft, violence and firearms.

In one incident on June 12, 2025, a driver operating a stolen vehicle equipped with counterfeit plates fled from police while impaired. The driver collided with several other vehicles before crashing into a pole. The driver was arrested after attempting to take control of another vehicle.

Menecola said the investigation is ongoing and it is unknown at this time how many license plates were produced or how far they have spread. He said the business had a “

somewhat robust social media presence” that included an Instagram page and a website. Representatives for the business also attended in person events including the Canadian International Auto Show, according to police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Peel police.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11847120/two-arrested-ontario-counterfeit-licence-plate/

A Belle River massage therapist convicted of sexually assaulting four female clients drew the ire of a Windsor judge at a sentencing hearing Monday.

“You’re not going to use language like that in the courtroom,” Superior Court Justice Scott Pratt told the offender at one point.

Jeffrey Young, 63, had pointed to some of those seated in the public gallery, referring to them as “scumbags.”

Representing himself during a nearly two-hour sentencing submission, he described as “absolutely putrid” some of the things said about him during his earlier trial. The female complainants who testified were “bent on destroying me,” he said.

But Justice Pratt told the offender that Monday’s sentencing hearing was not the place to “relitigate the case.

“I’m not here to get your opinion on Crown witnesses or on how the case was proceeded against you,” the judge said. “That part of this case has finished.

“What I need from you today is to know what you think the sentence should be,” he said.

But Young didn’t tell the court what he felt was an appropriate sentence for his crimes. The prosecution, however, called on the judge to impose a five-year penitentiary term.

“A message needs to be sent about how serious the court takes this significant and egregious breach of trust,” said assistant Crown attorney Elizabeth Brown.

Last September, Justice Pratt convicted Young on seven of eight counts of sexual assault covering four of five complainants, as well as a mischief conviction related to one of the complainants.

Young had caused the female victims “irreparable harm” by abusing the position of trust they had put into him as a professional massage therapist, said Brown.

“That trust is broken and affected their lives then and still affects their lives today.”

Some of the allegations of sexual assault, including touching of breasts and genitalia, stem from visits made to Young more than a decade earlier, the court heard in September.

The convictions followed a criminal trial that stretched across more than a year and introduced nearly 30 days of testimony, including three days with Young on the witness stand.

Some of the victims had appointments with Young while he was still a registered massage therapist working at a local clinic, while others saw him post-2021 when he began offering services out of his Belle River home. While still working as a professional masseur, Young was no longer a registered massage therapist as of 2020, the judge said during his judgment in September.

“This wasn’t a one-off, it wasn’t a one-time situation,” Brown said. “You heard that many of these victims blamed themselves or at least questioned themselves about whether or not the actions of Mr. Young were even sexual assault.”

One female victim said in her victim impact statement she was “haunted by vivid flashbacks of the irreversible damage (Young) has done to me” and spoke of having to endure and testify at “an exceptionally long trial.

“When I should have been taking time to heal, I was taking time to recall the crimes in agonizing detail to a courtroom full of people. I was forced to graphically re-live each event, which led me feeling traumatized all over again.

“Jeffrey Young took no accountability, and he showed no remorse.”

Deep sense of anger and betrayal

Another victim said in her statement that “something that was meant to be therapeutic and healing became a source of fear and emotional pain.

“When you go to a massage therapist, you have to be open, trusting, and physically vulnerable,” she said. “You give someone permission to touch you in a setting where you are supposed to feel cared for and respected.

“The fact that this vulnerability was taken advantage of has left me with a deep sense of anger and betrayal.”

During his own submission, Young said it was not his intent “to even upset anyone, let alone harm them, let alone commit such assaults.”

“That was never on my mind. It never happened into my mind.”

Young said his ADHD had led him to be distracted and “put the first focus on things that never should have overridden the true first focus, which is the safety of people I was treating, the trust of the people I was treating.

“I should have been terrified of working close to people’s sensitive areas,” Young said. “But I was absolutely fearless. I kick myself in the butt for taking a course that showed me that’s the most important area in the body to work to balance the body’s posture.”

He said the impact of the convictions had left him “right on the edge” and had led him to “having to hide and seclude myself.

“I have a whole life,” Young said. “I have a wife and children who are traumatized every day with me. And I live with that every single day.”

Young said he had support from friends and family members but that he didn’t want to put them in the difficult situation of writing letters of character support for “a convicted offender.”

He said text messages between himself and one of his female clients presented as evidence during the trial did not reveal a problematic relationship and showed his “good care” as a professional.

“That’s real evidence that should have an exponential amount of weight compared to the word of mouth from people who were bent on destroying me.”

The sentencing hearing continues later this month.

https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/belle-river-massage-therapist-convicted-of-sexual-crimes-lashes-out-at-victims

Alliston drug dealer Darryl Berdan will be spending the next six months in jail, after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

The sentence was handed down in a Barrie, Ont. courtroom by Justice Angela McLeod, who ‘reluctantly’ accepted the joint sentencing proposal from the Crown and defence

Berdan, 41, was arrested several times between 2024 and 2025, and had been out on bail up until a few weeks ago, when he was arrested for failing to show up to court on several occasions, prompting his lawyer to drop him as a client.

The court heard Berdan, who has a lengthy criminal record, accepted responsibility for a Nov. 2024 traffic stop in Alliston, when the vehicle Berdan was in was pulled over by police for having obscured licence plates while driving along Young Street at 10 p.m.

Police said the Mitsubishi was searched and the officer found about $4,000 in cash along with 71.8 g of cocaine and more than 20 g of methamphetamine.

Having previously sentenced Berdan five years ago, Justice Angela McLeod was not impressed with the latest proposal from the lawyers of the six-month jail term. The judge told Berdan he clearly had not turned his life around since vowing to do so when he was convicted of similar charges.

Both Berdan and his younger brother Kody, 37, faced gun charges last July, that were dropped by the prosecution. Kody Berdan was released from jail in February after seven months in custody for breaching bail conditions and violating a probation order. He also pleaded guilty last year to an aggravated assault, when he admitting to breaking a man’s fingers over a debt owed.

Darryl Berdan, who also goes by the name ‘Kenny,’ told the court of his struggles with substance abuse. Justice McLeod warned the drug dealer that his life “is in jeopardy” and careers of drug dealers are often “short lived.”

Justice McLeod remarked, “You don’t often see 50 and 60-year-old drug dealers.”Before being led away in handcuffs, Justice McLeod wished Berdan good luck, telling him, “You’re playing a dangerous game.”Upon his release from custody, Berdan is also banned from having weapons on him for life.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/barrie/article/judge-reluctantly-sentences-repeat-drug-dealer-to-six-months-in-jail-following-plea-deal/

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A jury found him guilty of possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking.

A judge in Owen Sound sentenced a 25-year-old Brampton man who was trafficking in fentanyl and methamphetamine in Saugeen Shores in 2022 to eight years in prison Tuesday.

After subtracting time served in presentence custody, credited at time-and-a-half or 4.7 years, and with an extra six months off for harsh jail lockdowns mostly due to staff shortages, Mohamed Gabaire has less than three years more to serve.

The federal Crown sought a sentence of 9 to 10 years before deductions, while a court-appointed lawyer argued on Gabaire’s behalf for a 6.5- to seven-year sentence before deductions. Ultimately, the sentence was two years, nine months and three weeks.

Gabaire pleaded not guilty in the Superior Court of Justice to three Sept. 28, 2022 charges. A jury found him guilty on two counts — possession for the purpose of trafficking in fentanyl and methamphetamine — and not guilty to possession of $2,950 proceeds of crime.

Gabaire represented himself at trial, assisted by a court-appointed lawyer. The evidence was “overwhelmingly” against him, said Superior Court Justice Roger Chown, while reading his sentencing reasons aloud.

Gabaire was arrested on Sept. 28, 2022 in Port Elgin after driving there in his mother’s car from the GTA that morning. Police searched the car and seized 247.5 grams of fentanyl and 93.4 g of methamphetamine worth $50,000 to $130,000 all told, and cash.

Gabaire’s cellphone records indicated he’d been involved in commercial drug trafficking since at least July 2022, Chown said. Gabaire was considered a “mid-level” trafficker. He was 22 and had no criminal record when charged.

Sentencing was primarily to denounce Gabaire’s conduct and to deter others from committing the same crime, Chown said. The amount of drugs was a “serious aggravating factor,” as was the inference that he was doing it for profit, not to feed his own addiction.

Texts on his phone showed him to be a “confident and practised” dealer in large amounts of dangerous drugs. It was also aggravating that Gabaire drove from Toronto to bring drugs to a small community, but that was a lesser sentencing factor, Chown said.

Mitigating factors included Gabaire’s youth and lack of court record. He was a first offender and has strong family support, which can indicate he’d have a better chance at rehabilitation.

The subtraction of time served before sentencing took the biggest bite out of the sentence left to serve. But the biggest mitigating factor which reduced his sentence was harsh jail conditions, including limited access to showers and exercise, Chown said.

Gabaire served two days in custody before he got bail, which was later revoked. He served 1,147 days in custody in three different institutions. For 344 of his 788 days at Central North Correctional Centre, he was let out of his cell less than two hours a day due to lockdowns.

The lockdowns happened primarily due to staff shortages, Chown said. Unable to adequately supervise inmates when outside their cells, inmates are locked in their cells longer instead, Chown said.
Chown said there’s “no excuse for this ongoing systemic problem” that’s gone on for years. He’s required to consider it as a significant mitigating factor on the sentence, he said.

He gave Gabaire an additional six months reduction due to these particularly harsh conditions while in custody, with federal Crown Elizabeth Barefoot’s agreement.

Gabaire’s family sat directly behind him in court, with clear divider separating them from the prisoner’s box where he sat. He was born in Toronto, of Somalian heritage, the second oldest of six siblings.

The family moved to Africa but returned to Brampton when Gabaire was in Grade 7. He completed high school but post-secondary efforts were unsuccessful. He was described in letters as caring, respectful, helpful at the mosque, with mental health and substance addiction struggles.

Chown said the letters may describe Gabaire as a younger man, before the time of the offences. He noted Gabaire wasn’t candid about his use of illicit drugs with people assessing his mental fitness and writing a presentence report on his background. Two mental health assessments concluded he was fit to stand trial.

The judge didn’t believe Gabaire demonstrated remorse either but said that wasn’t weighed in arriving at an appropriate sentence.

Chown said he did consider a letter filed by the Crown from Dr. Ian Arra, until recently the medical officer of health for Grey-Bruce, which described the toll on lives caused by fentanyl in Grey-Bruce, including a more than four-fold increase in opioid deaths from 2018 to 2021, fairly steady levels in 2022 and 2023, and a big increase in emergency department visits.

Chown also referred to a 2021 Supreme Court of Canada case, R v Parranto, which he said changed the sentencing landscape for significant fentanyl cases. It observed there were far more fentanyl-related deaths than homicides, which sentencing should reflect.

Chown also ordered Gabaire to submit a DNA sample, obey a firearms prohibition and the judge issued a forfeiture order for all items seized by police except the cash.

https://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/news/local-news/brampton-drug-dealer-sentenced-to-eight-years-reduced-to-three

Arrest Article:

https://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/news/local-news/city-police-charge-suspected-fentanyl-meth-trafficker

The boy, who was just 14 at the time, admits he fatally shot 20-year-old Ajay Simpson but has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

Less than two years after a 20-year-old man out enjoying a beautiful summer evening was shot in an execution-style killing outside a Toronto Community Housing Complex, the trial for the accused is underway.

A compilation of video surveillance capturing the disturbing and violent attack was played in court.
The identity of the accused, now 16, is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. They were 14 when the shooting occurred.

On Monday, at the outset of his judge-alone trial, the teen pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder but guilty to second-degree murder. The Crown rejected the plea to second.

“At the end of the day, the sole issue will be legal arguments between first and second-degree murder,” defence lawyer Tania Bariteau told court.

Assistant Crown attorney James Frost told Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden that the Crown will be seeking an adult sentence.

According to an agreed statement of facts, at approximately 11:51 p.m. on June 24, 2024, a stolen white Acura RDX entered the driveway of an apartment building at 20 Falstaff Ave.

The driveway is connected to buildings at 30 and 40 Falstaff Ave. The SUV had been captured on video circling the housing complex for a few minutes and driving through the driveway of 20 Falstaff once before it eventually stopped.

The 14-year-old was the front passenger in the Acura, according to the facts.

Just prior to the Acura stopping, Ajay Simpson is captured on video surveillance riding a stand-up electric scooter along the paved sidewalks within the housing complex. A group of people can be seen in the distance sitting under a gazebo, socializing.

Four masked and armed suspects are captured on video surveillance jumping out of the Acura. They begin running with guns drawn, firing towards the gazebo.

The video shows the 14-year-old running towards Simpson and firing in his direction as Simpson tries to flee. The three other occupants of the vehicle run back to the parked Acura and jump in.

The 14-year-old then pursues Simpson, who eventually abandons his scooter in an attempt to evade the shooter.

“The teen continues to run, more shots fired in the direction,” Frost told court in his brief opening address. “

Simpson is now on the ground along the south wall of 30 Falstaff Ave. and the accused approaches closer. At point blank, he shoots several times before returning to the SUV which leaves.”

The Acura is seen speeding off down Jane Street but Frost says there is no further video evidence of where the vehicle is going after it passes Falstaff Avenue and Jane Street.

Simpson, who can be seen lying motionless on the pavement as the teen runs off, was rushed to hospital via an emergency run and was pronounced dead. An autopsy found the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the torso.

According to the facts, Simpson sustained at least five gunshots wounds. The injuries consisted of a wound to the lower leg, a wound to the lower back, a wound to the right buttock, a wound to the face and a wound to the left chest. Simpson’s right forearm and hand also sustained abrasions and lacerations suggestive of a gunshot wound graze.

The teen was arrested on June 25, 2024, at approximately 2:45 p.m. after he was observed returning to a stolen Mazda CX-5 that was parked at a gas pump at a gas station located on Islington near Steeles Avenue, the court heard.

The facts also state that the stolen Acura was recovered on June 28, 2024, parked in a roadway roughly eight km away. It had the same front and rear licence plate as depicted in surveillance video obtained by the Toronto Police Service.

It had been stolen from a Brampton home on June 13. A forensic officer who examined the Acura located the fingerprint of the accused on the inside plastic surface of the insurance folder located inside the centre console.

Another forensic identification officer testified Tuesday that almost 30 shell casings were found on scene associated to four different firearms were location. Eleven of those casings came from a 40-millimetre handgun that is connected to the shooting of Simpson.

So far, the Crown has not indicated whether it believes there was a motive for the shooting.

The three other shooters have never been arrested. The trial continues.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11846102/video-execution-style-shooting-shown-trial-teen/

An 18-year-old Vaughan, Ont., boy charged with two suspected hate-motivated assaults with a weapon investigations involving the Jewish community has been released on $2,000 bail.

Ruslan Novruzov was released from the Toronto Regional Bail Centre just after noon on Monday with strict conditions he remain in his house in Vaughan at all times except in the event of a medical emergency.

Novruzov was also ordered to have no contact with the alleged victims or be within 200 metres of any place where he knows the victims to be, except for required court appearances. The Justice of the Peace further ordered him to not possess any weapons, including pellet guns and imitation firearms.

According to Toronto police, Novruzov was arrested shortly after 7 a.m. last Friday at his home in Vaughan. Investigators say search warrants were also executed at the residence and a vehicle was seized, along with evidence, including “two gel-blaster imitation firearms.”

He was charged with four counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

The charges relate to two incidents. On April 30, police responded to an assault that took place in the Bathurst Street and Lawrence Avenue West area. It was reported that three victims, visibly identifiable members of the Jewish community, were walking outside.

Police say a suspect, who was in a vehicle, discharged an imitation firearm that the victims described as an Orbeez-type gun. The victims sustained minor injuries. The suspect fled in a blue SUV.

The second incident happened on May 7 at approximately 10:45 a.m. Police say they responded to an assault in progress outside the Congregation Chasidei Bobov synagogue.

Three people, described as visibly identifiable members of the Jewish community, were shot at from a vehicle with an imitation firearm. One victim was struck and suffered minor injuries. The suspects fled in a blue Lexus SUV.

Police say the two incidents are being investigated as suspected hate-motivated offences.

In a post on X, Mayor Olivia Chow called the attack outside the synagogue “a disgusting antisemitic hate crime.” Chow also thanked police for their swift arrest in the case.

“Toronto is a city where everyone must be free to practice their faith and live without fear,” the mayor added.

Evidence heard in court Monday and reasons for Novruzov’s release on bail are covered by a court-ordered publication ban. The teen will return to court next month.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11845058/teen-accused-of-firing-at-3-people-outside-synagogue-with-replica-gun-granted-bail/

Arrest Article :

https://globalnews.ca/news/11840417/3-people-shot-at-with-replica-gun-in-suspected-hate-crime-outside-toronto-synagogue/