CORNWALL, Ontario – A massive weapons and drug trafficking ring has been taken down by police, following a series of raids and school lockdowns that turned heads in Cornwall Wednesday.
Project Harden, focused on the trafficking of handguns and cocaine in eastern Ontario, has led to eight arrests, nine seized firearms, and 107 charges.
Results of the five-month investigation led by the Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were announced at a media conference Thursday in Long Sault.
“The operators of a Cornwall business, known as Cedar’s On Wheels, were arrested and charged in relation to this investigation,” said OPP Superintendent Paul Beesley.
Multiple search warrants were executed Wednesday (May 27) in Ottawa, South Glengarry, Akwesasne, and Longueuil, Que., as well as a Cornwall home near St. Lawrence College and a popular Pitt Street restaurant, located across the street from the Cornwall Community Police Service (CCPS) station.
The charged individuals include: Pierre Nassif, 39, South Glengarry, 17 charges; Devin Lazore, 21, Akwesasne, 11 charges; Paul Nassif, 36, Cornwall, two charges; Masaed Rashed, 27, Ottawa, four charges; Hussein Yassin , 40, Cornwall, one charge; Sean Carl, 25, Cornwall, two charges; Francois Billard, 29, Cornwall, two charges; and Sonia Bernier, 32, Saint Hubert, Que., 12 charges.
Five were held in custody to appear in a Cornwall court Thursday (May 28). Billard, Carl, and Yassin were released with a promise to appear in a Cornwall court in June.
The items seized sprawled across the evidence table at the conference, included: six prohibited handguns, a silencer, two restricted handguns, an AK-47 assault rifle, high capacity magazines, ammunition, roughly three kilograms of cocaine, marijuana, and about $100,000 in cash.
The origin of several of these seized firearms has been traced back to the United States. That investigation continues.
The project is a joint forces investigation with OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit (PWEU) and its partners, Ottawa Police Service (OPS), CCPS, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS), with the assistance of the Sûreté du Québec.
CCPS Deputy Chief Danny Aikman confirmed that firearms and drugs were seized in Cornwall during the two raids and that the alleged crime ring was centered at the Pitt Street eatery. As a result, every item in the business, from its signs to the cutlery, were labelled as offence-related property and seized. When Seaway News returned to the scene late Wednesday afternoon, a man could be seen sweeping shattered glass inside.
“The investigation is still ongoing – there will be follow-up from yesterday’s actions, which may lead to further arrests” said Aikman. “I believe there are still firearms available in Cornwall.”
A detailed list of Project Harden arrests:
1. Pierre NASSIF, 39 years of South Glengarry, ON with:
1) Trafficking in a Schedule 1 Substance (CDSA) (Cocaine)
2) Possess Proceeds Obtained by Crime Over $5000 (CC)
3) Possess Weapon Dangerous to the Public Peace (CC) (Handgun)
4) Possess Firearm without Holding a Licence (CC) (Handgun)
5) Possess Firearm knowingly without Holding a Licence (CC) (Handgun)
6) Possess Unloaded Regulated Firearm (CC) (Handgun)
7) Possess Firearm Obtained by Crime (CC) (Handgun)
8) Knowingly Transfer a Firearm (CC)
9) Knowingly Transfer Ammunition (CC)
10) Possess Firearm with Altered Serial Number (CC)
11) Possess Proceeds Obtained by Crime over $5000 (CC)
12) Possess Firearm While Prohibited (CC) (Handgun)
13) Possess Ammunition While Prohibited (CC)
14) Unlicenced Person Possess Prohibited Device (CC) (Silencer)
15) Possess Prohibited Device Knowing no Authority (CC) (Silencer)
16) Possess Unloaded Regulated Firearm (CC) (Handgun)
17) Knowingly Transfer Prohibited Device (CC) (Silencer)
2. Devin LAZORE, 21 years of Akwesasne, ON with:
1) Possess Weapon Dangerous to the Public Peace (CC) (Handgun)
2) Possess Prohibited Device (CC) (High Capacity magazine)
3) Possess Firearm without Holding a Licence (CC) (Handgun)
4) Possess Firearm Obtained by Crime (CC) (Handgun)
5) Knowingly Transfer a Firearm (CC)
6) Knowingly Transfer Prohibited Device (CC) (Magazine)
7) Possess Firearm with Altered Serial Number (CC)
8) Occupy Motor Vehicle with Firearm (CC) (Handgun)
9) Possess Proceeds Obtained by Crime Under $5000 (CC)
10) Unlicenced Person Possess Prohibited Device (CC)
11) Offer to Transfer Firearm (CC) (Handgun)
Paul NASSIF, 36 years of Cornwall, ON with:
1) Breach of Probation (CC)
2) Traffic in a Schedule 1 Substance (CDSA) (Cocaine)
4. Masaed RASHED, 27 years of Ottawa, ON with:
1) Trafficking in a Schedule 1 Substance (CDSA) (Cocaine)
2) Possess Proceeds Obtained by Crime over $5000 (CC)
3) Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (CDSA) (Cocaine)
4) Breach of Recognizance (CC)
5. Hussein YASSIN, 40 Years of Cornwall, ON with:
1) Traffic in a Schedule 1 Substance (CDSA) (Cocaine)
6. Sean CARL, 25 Years of Cornwall, ON with:
1) Trafficking in a Schedule 2 Substance (CDSA) (Cocaine)
2) Possess Proceeds Obtained by Crime over $5000 (CC)
7. Francois BILLARD, 29 years of Cornwall, ON with:
1) Trafficking in a Schedule 2 Substance (CDSA) (Cocaine)
2) Possess Proceeds Obtained by Crime over $5000 (CC)
8. Sonia BERNIER, 32 years of Saint Hubert, QC with:
1) Possess Weapon Dangerous to the Public Peace (CC) (Handgun)
2) Possess Firearm without Holding a Licence (CC) (Handgun)
3) Possess Firearm knowingly without Holding a Licence (CC) (Handgun)
4) Occupy Motor Vehicle with Firearm (CC) (Handgun)
5) Possess Unloaded Regulated Firearm (CC) (Handgun)
6) Possess Firearm Obtained by Crime (CC) (Handgun)
7) Knowingly Transfer a Firearm (CC)
8) Possess Firearm with Altered Serial Number (CC)
9) Unlicenced Person Possess Prohibited Device (CC) (Silencer)
10) Possess Prohibited Device Knowing no Authority (CC) (Silencer)
11) Possess Unloaded Regulated Firearm (CC) (Handgun)
12) Knowingly Transfer Prohibited Device (CC) (Silencer)
