9 charged after covert police investigation
A lengthy investigation sparked by a rash of violent offences believed to be related to the drug trade has led to charges against nine men between the ages of 18 and 40.
According to information from the Regina Police Service, the public safety initiative — dubbed Project SHRED — was a two-month covert investigation headed by the Regina Integrated Drug Enforcement Street Team and the Street Gang Unit. Police said the investigation led to the seizure of a firearm and several replica firearms, ammunition, a machete, Canadian currency, and drugs including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, morphine and marijuana.
The nine, several of whom are said to be members of the Native Syndicate street gang, were arrested Friday.
The men made first appearances at Regina provincial court on Monday morning, when the Crown opposed the release of each. All return to court later this month.
While all nine face criminal organization-related charges, 35-year-old Jeremy John Arnold is the only one accused of instructing the commission of an offence for a criminal organization.
The other eight — 22-year-old Brady Thomas Baumgartner, 18-year-old Dominick Cochrane, 33-year-old Michael James Kay, 18-year-old Darian Klyne, 30-year-old Justin Ray McKay, 40-year-old Arden Felix Panipekeesick, 20-year-old Keegan Panipekeesick and 36-year-old Nam Truong — are accused of participating in the activities of a criminal organization.
The criminal organization charges date to a period of time between March 20 and May 19, and pertain to alleged activities such as robbery with violence, extortion, kidnapping and drug trafficking.
In addition to the criminal organization charges, all nine face additional new charges — many for violence.
Two — Arnold and McKay — are charged with assaulting a man with a hammer, log and flashlight. Arnold also faces charges of possession of cocaine and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of crime proceeds, and several counts of conspiracy to traffic drugs. He is also accused of robbery, alleging he beat a man in the course of attempting to steal his vehicle.
Most of the others — Baumgartner, Cochrane, Kay, Klyne and both Panipekeesicks — face new robbery charges, some in relation to a man who allegedly had some personal items taken. Arden Panipekeesick is also accused of extortion and possession of crime proceeds, while Keegan Panipekeesick is charged with break and enter.
Truong has no violent offences among his new charges, but is accused of possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking, possession of proceeds of trafficking, and several breaches of release conditions.
Some of the men were already in custody on extremely serious allegations. Arnold and McKay face previously laid charges of kidnapping, extortion and robbery, while Keegan Panipekeesick has been appearing in court on charges related to a violent home invasion in Pense in which he faces an attempted murder allegation.
City police spokeswoman Elizabeth Popowich said police involved in this project are still investigating, and didn’t rule out the possibility further charges could be laid.
Speaking generally, Popowich said the experience of police is that “where there is drug trafficking, often there are firearms and violence and a potential for very, very serious offences.”
She said the increased availability of meth appears to be tied into a larger issue, with the drug creating a sense of desperation and unpredictability in users — particularly concerning when police have also been finding more guns associated with drug trafficking.
“I don’t know that I’d categorize any drug as good, but it does seem that methamphetamine is changing the nature of the problem,” she said.