Hell's Angel Among 54 Arrested In Drug Operation Near Simcoe
Greg Carr
Town resident among the 54 people charged
By Kate Schwass - SUN MEDIA
Wednesday September 27, 2006
Paulie Vallee, 33, of Tillsonburg
is among the six additional people charged as the result of a
nine-month undercover OPP drug investigation.
At a press conference last Thursday, police announced the seizure of
crack cocaine, ecstasy, oxycodone which lead to 48 people being charged
with more than 250 drug offences. The investigation included Simcoe's
downtown.
Tuesday, the OPP announced charges had been laid against Vallee and
five others including 24-year-old Jordan Clement, 40-year-old Heath
Shand, 43-year-old Terry Smith, 20-year-old Ashley Willbanks, all of
Simcoe and 42-year-old Michael Sullivan of Port Dover.
The recent arrests bring the total number of people charged to 54 and
total charges laid to 286.
The estimated value of drugs seized in Norfolk is more than $180,000
and $10,000 in Canadian currency was also seized.
An alleged member of the Hells Angels was also arrested earlier this
month in connection with the investigation.
Fifteen of the 22 people arrested last week are from Norfolk County.
"This is an important day for Norfolk," said detective
superintendent Frank Elbers, director of OPP's drug enforcement
section. "For the county, when you arrest 48 individuals, it's
always a big thing."
The undercover operation began shortly after last summer's cries from
merchants and the public about open drug dealing and deterioration in
downtown Simcoe.
"This is a direct result of our work to improve the area," Norfolk
Inspector Norm Denckert said. "We're not naive enough to think the
problem will go away, but this may make someone think twice about
selling drugs in Simcoe . . . take your business elsewhere. We're not
going to stop."
Downtown business owners were happy to hear about the bust. Several
said they've seen improvements in Simcoe's core this summer.
Norfolk OPP and the OPP Drug Enforcement Section executed search
warrants at five locations in Norfolk, including Mill Pond Road in
Vittoria, O'Rouke Street in Port Dover and three Simcoe locations on
South Drive, Talbot Street and Norfolk Street.
The drugs seized during the Norfolk investigations included cocaine,
crack cocaine, oxycodone pills, morphine pills, morphine patches,
dilaudid, fentanyl patches, marijuana, cannabis resin and ecstasy
pills.
Two search warrants were executed in Dunnville at Main St. and Alder
St. West locations as well. Police seized cocaine and
oxycodone pills with an estimated value of $50,000.
At the press conference at the Norfolk OPP detachment Thursday, Elbers
told the media about the undercover operation that involved about 80
officers from Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk, Elgin, Middlesex and the
Western Region's Emergency Response Team.
"This operation targeted small to mid-level dealers," Elbers said.
Undercover officers would pose as drug addicts and would buy what they
needed from dealers in places like downtown Simcoe.
"In 58 visits to Norfolk and Simcoe, 89 drug buys were done by the
drug officers," he added. All the drugs collected and shown were from
transactions done at the street-level. Local OPP officers did not know
there were undercover officers working in Simcoe's downtown.
Earlier this month, Steven Spencer and Rebecca Cousins, both of
Hamilton, were arrested as part of this operation. When the OPP drug
enforcement unit, along with Hamilton Police and the Provincial Biker
Enforcement Unit, executed a search warrant at a Strathearne Ave.,
Hamilton address, they seized cocaine, a small amount of marijuana and
cannabis resin, an estimated value of $4,500.
Spencer, who OPP say is a member of the Hells Angels biker gang, was
charged with trafficking, two counts of possession for the purpose of
trafficking and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.
Cousins was also charged with two counts of possession for the purpose
of trafficking.
Elbers said there is no connection between this drug bust and the
events in Shedden earlier this year where eight men were killed, six
were patch-wearing members of the Bandidos biker gang. He also said
this bust does not mean biker gangs are infiltrating Simcoe and the
surrounding areas.
Foster added Norfolk OPP were continuing the arrest individuals
involved with this sting and they will continue to investigate drug
tips.
"This puts a dent into the Norfolk drug trade, but this isn't the
end of the problem," he said.
As always, the OPP used the press conference to remind residents to
call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS if they have any information
about drugs being used or dealt in the community. They said they can
never have too much information and one small piece of information can
help build a larger case.
Those facing a slew of drug and criminal code charges include: Tyler
Wade Biehn of Waterford, Dwayne Carl Carpenter of Simcoe, Tina Clemente
from Etobicoke, Rebecca Cousins of Hamilton, Kelvin Anthony Cunningham
of Simcoe, Terry Spencer Cuthbertson of Jarvis, Brenda Anne Marie
Graham of Simcoe, Michael Steven Gustin of Vittoria, Mark Alan Johnston
of Simcoe, Brian Robert William Keeler of Simcoe, Gordon Ross Leroux of
no fixed address, Terrance Fraser Douglas Lunn of Simcoe, Sherry Lee
Maas of Port Dover, Jeffrey Mark A. Marreel of Norfolk, John Wayne
McDonald of Simcoe, Kenneth Isaac Morris of Norfolk, Tina Powell of
Norfolk, Pamela Semple of Dunnville, Steven Edward Spencer of Hamilton,
Scott David Allen Wass of Simcoe, Daniel Alfred Alexander Whitwell of
Dunnville and Kyle Roger Young of Simcoe.
Officers are continuing to follow up leads on suspects who have been
involved but have yet to be arrested.
"We're not naive enough to think the problem will go away, but this
may make someone think twice about selling drugs . . . take your
business elsewhere. We're not going to stop."
-- Norm Denckert
http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/News/257121.html
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Charged with 1 count of Trafficking of a Controlled Substance (
Cocaine), 2 counts of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking
(Cocaine), and 3 counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance
(Cocaine, Marihuana, Cannabis Resin), is 34 year old Steven Spencer, a
member of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Gang. Also charged with 2
counts of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (Cocaine) is 24
year old, Rebecca Cousins. Both of Strathearne Ave, Hamilton Ontario.
They are to reappear in Provincial Court, Hamilton at a later date.
http://www.crimealerts.net/norfolk.htm
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Good work Ontario cops. Nice attitude of take your drug business
elsewhere. Too bad the police in BC and the Crown don't have the same
attitude.