17 charges laid against 3 people in drug, weapons investigation

THUNDER BAY — City police have laid a bevy of drugs and weapons-related charges against three people, two of them from southern Ontario.

In a media release issued Wednesday, police said a 24-year-old Oshawa man, a 25-year-old London woman and a 62-year-old Thunder Bay man are all in custody.

The investigation reportedly started in May when police were told a male suspect was in possession of a handgun, ammunition, as well as suspected cocaine and oxycodone. Police seized those materials at the time, according to a media release issued on Wednesday.

A police spokesperson confirmed that no one was arrested at the time of the May seizures.

That, however, led to police continuing their investigation and doing a warranted search of a home on McLaughlin Street on Tuesday, the release said, adding that more cocaine, cash and items that police said are consistent with drug trafficking was seized and three people located and arrested.

The 24-year-old from Oshawa faces two counts each of possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and failing to comply with court orders, a total of seven different weapons-related charges, and one count of possessing property obtained by crime over $5,000.

The 25-year-old from London and the 62-year-old Thunder Bay man were each charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possessing property obtained by crime over $5,000. The London woman also was charged with failing to comply with court orders.

The accused appeared in court on Wednesday, police said.

It is Newswatch policy not to name people facing criminal accusations when we are unlikely to follow the case to its conclusion in the courts.