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Breach of trust charge against jail guard ‘uncommon and very concerning’: police

A Thunder Bay correctional officer has been charged by Thunder Bay Police with one count of breach of trust and various drug trafficking offences.
Thunder Bay District Jail
Thunder Bay district jail.

THUNDER BAY - Police are describing an investigation involving a jail guard recently charged with breach of trust and drug trafficking offences as ‘very concerning’.

Thunder Bay police announced the arrest of a 38-year-old Thunder Bay District Jail male employee amid an ongoing investigation involving a criminal breach of trust, according to a police news release.

The accused male was arrested on Wednesday morning, June 24, and is currently in police custody awaiting to appear before a justice of the peace. He is also facing drug trafficking offences including possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of MDMA for the purpose of trafficking, trafficking in tobacco, and possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling.

“The investigation is still in its very early stages and the name cannot be released as the information is not presently before the courts,” Det.-Insp. John Fennell said Wednesday. “We can in fact say that it had something to do with the institution."

The man was arrested outside the jail on Wednesday.

Fennell also explained how breach of trust charges are not common.

“They are very concerning and they are high level in the sense that you are in a trusted position,” he said. “There is an extra weight on you to ensure what you are doing is essentially lawful and in particular in the law enforcement family I would suggest it's even magnified more.”

He will appear in court Thursday to have the charges sworn in by a justice of the peace. 

 



Karen Edwards

About the Author: Karen Edwards

Karen Edwards reports on court and crime under the Local Journalism initiative, which is funded by the Government of Canada.
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