OPP charge seven after Thunder Bay guns-and-drugs probe; handguns, cocaine seized

THUNDER BAY, Ont. — Ontario Provincial Police say seven people are facing a combined 80 Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act charges after an intelligence-led drug trafficking investigation in Thunder Bay.

The investigation involved the OPP-led Provincial Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team, with members from the Thunder Bay Police Service and Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, in partnership with the Thunder Bay OPP Community Street Crime Unit. Police allege the investigation focused on a network suspected of trafficking drugs from the Greater Toronto Area into Thunder Bay.

All accused persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Search Warrants Executed on Egan Street and Secord Street

OPP say officers executed three search warrants on Wednesday, May 13, at residences on Egan Street and Secord Street in Thunder Bay.

The searches involved members of the OPP Provincial Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team, Thunder Bay Police Service Emergency Task Unit, OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, OPP Provincial Operations Intelligence Bureau, OPP Investigation and Enforcement Bureau, Nishnawbe Aski Police Service and the RCMP.

Police report seizing: Three loaded handguns, ammunition and extended magazines, about 290 grams of suspected cocaine, about 220 grams of suspected crack cocaine, $3,900 in Canadian currency, six cellphones and two digital scales.

The estimated street value of the drugs seized is $40,000, according to police.

Adults Charged in the Investigation

Police have identified five adult accused persons.

Rosemarie Loon, 50, of Thunder Bay, is facing 23 charges, including unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, careless storage of a firearm, knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a loaded restricted firearm, possession of a prohibited device, failure to comply with a release order, possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine.

OPP said Loon was remanded into custody for a bail hearing and was scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay on May 27.

Phillip Arpin, 63, of Thunder Bay, is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine. Police said Arpin was remanded into custody following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay on June 12.

Dollena Blaschek, 48, of Thunder Bay, is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine and possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000. OPP said Blaschek was remanded into custody for a bail hearing and was scheduled to appear in Thunder Bay court on May 27.

Jayden Nwoko, 23, of Montreal, is charged with possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine. Police said Nwoko was remanded into custody for a bail hearing and was scheduled to appear in Thunder Bay court on May 27.

Jacob Vaillant, 36, of Thunder Bay, is charged with failure to comply with a release order. OPP said Vaillant was remanded into custody for a bail hearing and was scheduled to appear in Thunder Bay court on May 26.

Two Young Persons Also Charged

Two accused from Scarborough were identified by police only as young persons. One is listed as 18 and is facing 26 charges. The second is listed as 16 and is facing 25 charges.

Their names are not being published. The Youth Criminal Justice Act generally prohibits publishing the name or identifying information of a young person dealt with under the Act, subject to limited exceptions.

Both young persons were remanded into custody for bail hearings, according to police.

What the Charges Mean Under Canadian Law

The firearm allegations include several Criminal Code offences. Unauthorized possession under section 91 applies to possession of a firearm, prohibited device or related item without the required licence or registration and carries a maximum penalty of five years on indictment, or summary conviction proceedings.

Knowledge of unauthorized possession under section 92 is more serious because it alleges the person knew they were not legally authorized to possess the firearm or prohibited item. The maximum penalty is 10 years in prison.

Possession of a loaded restricted firearm under section 95 carries a maximum penalty of 14 years on indictment, or may proceed by summary conviction.

Careless use, handling, transport or storage of a firearm or ammunition under section 86 carries a maximum of two years for a first indictable offence and five years for a subsequent offence, or summary conviction proceedings.

Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose under section 88 applies where a weapon, imitation weapon, prohibited device or ammunition is allegedly possessed for a purpose dangerous to the public peace or to commit an offence. The maximum penalty is 10 years on indictment, or summary conviction proceedings.

Possession of a firearm or prohibited device contrary to a prohibition order under section 117.01 carries a maximum penalty of 10 years on indictment, or summary conviction proceedings.

Failure to comply with a release order under section 145(5) carries a maximum penalty of two years on indictment, or summary conviction proceedings.

Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000 is addressed through sections 354 and 355 of the Criminal Code. For property valued at not more than $5,000, the maximum penalty is two years on indictment, or summary conviction proceedings.
The drug trafficking allegations are laid under section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which prohibits possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. Cocaine is listed as a Schedule I substance, and trafficking or possession for the purpose of trafficking in a Schedule I substance carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment on indictment.

Actual sentences, if convictions are entered, depend on the facts proven in court, the accused person’s role, criminal record, aggravating and mitigating factors, and whether the Crown proceeds by indictment or summary conviction where that option is available.

Why This Matters in Thunder Bay

Police have repeatedly identified Thunder Bay as a target market for drug trafficking networks moving illicit drugs from larger urban centres into Northwestern Ontario.

Investigations involving loaded firearms, suspected cocaine and multiple police agencies point to the public safety risks tied to organized drug distribution, including violence, exploitation and pressure on local emergency, court and health systems.

For communities across Northwestern Ontario, these investigations are also connected to broader concerns about gang activity, illegal firearms, addiction, housing insecurity and the vulnerability of remote and northern communities to outside trafficking networks.

Provincial Guns and Gangs Mandate

The OPP-led Provincial Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team works to disrupt criminal street gang activity through intelligence-led, multijurisdictional drug trafficking investigations and to reduce the number of illegal firearms in Ontario.

In Northwestern Ontario, the team includes members from the OPP, Thunder Bay Police Service and Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, with support from the RCMP.

Anyone with information about illegal firearms or the possession, manufacturing or trafficking of illicit drugs is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).