(GREY BRUCE, ON) – On December 1, 2021, several branches of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Owen Sound Police Service (OSPS), including: the OPP Community Street Crimes Unit (CSCU), OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT), OPP Regional Support Team (RST), OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB), OSPS Drugs and Intelligence Unit, OSPS Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), and OSPS Community Response and Enforcement Unit (CORE), executed 9 search warrants in Owen Sound and Georgian Bluffs with an additional search warrant executed and the Town of Saugeen Shores on December 3, 2021. This comes after all member of OSPS and OPP initiated a joint forces investigation which lasted several months.
As a result of the investigation, seven individuals were arrested and are facing the following charges:
Andrew BARBER, 23 years-of-age, from Georgian Bluffs
· Participation in a criminal organization
· Possession of a schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking
· Two counts of Careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device or ammunition
· Unauthorized possession of a weapon
· Possession of a firearm knowing that a serial number has been tampered with
· Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5000
· Two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm
· Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm
· Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
Alexander BARBER, 25 years-of-age, of no fixed address
· Participation in a criminal organization
· Possession of a schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking
· Careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device or ammunition
· Unauthorized possession of a weapon
· Possession of a firearm knowing that a serial number has been tampered with
· Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5000
· Careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device or ammunition
· Two count of unauthorized possession of a firearm
· Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm
· Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
· Five counts of possession for a firearm or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order
Tristan FONGER, 21-years-of-age, from Owen Sound
· Participation in a criminal organization
· Possession of a schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking
· Two counts of Careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device or ammunition
· Unauthorized possession of a weapon
· Possession of a firearm knowing that a serial number has been tampered with
· Two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm
· Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm
· Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
Moustafa MOHAMED, 25-years-of-age, from Richmond Hill
· Participation in a criminal organization
· Possession of a schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking
· Two counts of Careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device or ammunition
· Unauthorized possession of a weapon
· Possession of a firearm knowing that a serial number has been tampered with
· Two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm
· Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm
· Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
Randal PALMER, 58-years-of-age, from Owen Sound
· Participation in a criminal organization
Dylan RAYNHAM, 26-years-of-age, from Owen Sound
· Participation in a criminal organization
· Two counts of possession of a schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking
· Careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device or ammunition
· Three counts of unauthorized possession of a weapon
· Possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammo
· Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
Kelly WOOTTON, 45-years-of-age, from Georgian Bluffs
· Participation in a criminal organization
· Unauthorized possession of a weapon
At the conclusion of this investigation, officers seized 5 firearms, a quantity of ammunition, 3 prohibited weapons, a large quantity of suspected cocaine, other illicit drugs and Canadian currency. The combined value of the seized drugs and Canadian currency is approximately $65,000 dollars.
All parties were held in pending a bail hearing and were remanded into custody. All parties will appear again before the Ontario Court of Justice in Owen Sound on December 6, 2021.