A 13-month joint investigation with Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police and Belleville Police titled “Project Coyote” has led to the arrest of 27 people and the seizure of drugs, guns, ammunition, jewellery and Canadian & American currency.
Thirteen people from the Trenton, Belleville and Cobourg areas were part of the arrests including members of the Hells Angels and Red Devils motorcycle gang.
In an online media conference on Thursday, OPP, Toronto Police and Belleville Police gave their results of the investigation.
“Today, I’m pleased to share the results of Project Coyote, a 13-month joint force investigation that has resulted in removing more than a dozen firearms, including stolen or 3D printed weapons off of our streets,” said OPP Chief Superintendent Paul Mackey, who is the commander of the OPP’s Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau.
“In addition, a significant amount of illegal drugs including more than a kilogram of fentanyl, six kilos of methamphetamine, and 616 kilos of cocaine were seized, as well as more than $370,000 in Canadian currency stemming from the proceeds of crime. Ten vehicles, jewellery worth more than an estimated $150,000 and miscellaneous Hells Angels items were also seized.”
Phase one of the investigation took place on January 18, 2023 in the Greater Toronto Area where nine high-risk search warrants were executed leading to the arrest of 12 people.
During the investigation, Mackey says two criminal groups were identified as operating a drug trafficking network in the Belleville and Quinte West area.
The second phase of Project Coyote led to 15 arrests across multiple locations including in Belleville, Quinte West, Campbellford, and Centre Hastings.
Speaking with Quinte News, Belleville’s Deputy Police Chief Chris Barry said six search warrants were executed in Belleville with another warrant being executed at a clubhouse on Dundas St. in Quinte West.
“There were tactical teams executing the search warrants from Windsor, Toronto, OPP Belleville, York Regional Durham Regional, Peel regional, Ottawa and Kingston and we had upwards of 120 officers that don’t work for the Belleville Police Service in our building yesterday processing and planning the execution of the search warrants,” Barry tells Quinte News.
Barry confirmed that a “majority” of those arrested and charged were members of the Hells Angels or the puppet club Red Devils motorcycle gang.
He says the area has already had to deal with gang activity before the second phase of the project took place.
“We did have for a time a Hells Angels clubhouse operating out of an older restaurant on Highway 37 in our jurisdiction,” Barry said.
“There was also a clothing store in the downtown area of Belleville that was operated by full patch members of the Hells Angels and selling their paraphernalia. Both of them actually had been shut down just prior to the launching of phase two of Project Coyote yesterday.”
A full list of the Belleville, Trenton and Cobourg residents who were charged are as follows:
BELLEVILLE
43-year-old Jean Francois Labonte
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
- Participation in a Criminal Organization
- Commission of offence for a Criminal Organization
- Firearm Trafficking
- Trafficking – Schedule I Substance to wit, Cocaine
38-year-old Nicole Whitman
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
- Participation in a Criminal Organization
- Commission of offence for a Criminal Organization
43-year-old Mark Stewart
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
- Participation in a Criminal Organization
- Commission of offence for a Criminal Organization
35-year-old Steven Dickson
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
- Participation in a Criminal Organization
- Commission of offence for a Criminal Organization
- Trafficking – Schedule I Substance to wit, Cocaine x 5
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime under $5000 x 5
52-year-old Mark Dunn
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
- Participation in a Criminal Organization
- Commission of offence for a Criminal Organization
- Trafficking – Schedule I Substance to wit, Cocaine x 3
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime under $5000 x 3
41-year-old Michael Renzi
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
- Participation in a Criminal Organization
- Commission of offence for a Criminal Organization
24-year-old Justin Whitford
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
27-year-old Ryan Higgins-Michaud
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
- Fail to comply with a recognizance
TRENTON
43-year-old Nicholas Runnalls
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
- Participation in a Criminal Organization
- Commission of offence for a Criminal Organization
- Instruction in a Criminal Organization x 2
36-year-old Gary Bunton
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
46-year-old Robert Parsonson
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
19-year-old Alexander Veronez
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence x 2
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime under $5000
COBOURG
28-year-old Dylan Kearley
- Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
- Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Schedule I Substance to wit, Cocaine
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime under $5000
The charges listed are accurate as of 10 a.m on February 23.
OPP say they anticipate more charges as the investigation continues.
The 15 people arrested from the second phase of Project Coyote were set to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville on Thursday.
Graphic looking at the arrests, items seized and warrant executed in phase one and two of Project Coyote, a joint-investigation with OPP, Toronto Police and Belleville Police. (Photo: Ontario Provincial Police)
