City police have filed fresh charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, against the man accused of heading a criminal organization.
Officials with the Thunder Bay Police Service announced Thursday afternoon that John Harry Tsekouras, 39, of Thunder Bay, faces new charges stemming from the 2010 investigation police dubbed project dolphin.
Tsekouras was originally charged in April 2012 for his alleged role in a major drug trafficking network.
Throughout the Project Dolphin investigation, police collected numerous pieces of evidence including phone records. City police spokesman Chris Adams said they had enough evidence through that investigation to charge Tsekouras.
“These charges are quite serious,” Adams said.
“The scope of the charges today also include participating in a criminal organization and it is alleged that he’s the director of this criminal organization. This is just a major case and we are pretty confident that the evidence that has been gathered to date. This is still an ongoing investigation so anything is possible.”
The intended kidnapping and murder did not occur, and Adams said he could not reveal the country of origin, or any other information, about the intended victim.
Police say it is alleged that Tsekouras was behind the plot, which is alleged to have been connected to drug trafficking.
New charges against Tsekouras include:
- Participant - criminal organization
- Conspiracy to traffic marijuana (four counts)
- Conspiracy to traffic cannabis resin
- Conspiracy to commit murder
- Conspiracy to kidnap
Other suspects charged in the original Project Dolphin investigation have also been arrested and charged.
Rory Jacob Pelletier, 42, of Thunder Bay, has been charged with:
- Participating in a criminal organization
- Trafficking marijuana for the benefit of a criminal organization
- Conspiracy to traffic marijuana (two counts)
- Trafficking of a controlled substance (Marijuana)
Keith John Ritchie, 30, of Thunder Bay, has been charged with:
- Breach of Recognisance
Travis Garth Gordon, 29, of Thunder Bay, has been charged with:
- Breach of Recognisance
- Breach of Probation
Project Dolphin was an undercover investigation that began in 2010 by the Thunder Bay Police Service. It involved members of the RCMP, OPP, Toronto Police Service and the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service.
Investigators involved with Project Dolphin looked into the alleged hierarchical and well organized criminal enterprise believed to be involved in drug trafficking. Drug trafficking is believed to have included cocaine, marijuana and Oxycodone.
Police say it is alleged that the organization had supply and distribution contacts with other criminal organizations, including the Hells Angels and other criminal groups in Western Canada and Montreal.
All of the accused have been held in custody.
Tsekouras is expected to appear in court on June 17, Pelletier has a court date set for June 14, Ritchie will appear in court on June 20 and Gordon has a court date of June 17.
This is a developing story, more information will be published soon.
