Seven men arrested in police raids across Saskatchewan and Alberta last winter are now facing organized crime charges.
RCMP said in a media release Thursday the new charges — which include participation in a criminal organization, committing an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization, and recruitment to a criminal organization — were sworn in Dec. 9.
The men were among 14 people arrested in January as part of Project Forseti, an investigation into organized crime that began in November 2013. Nearly 20 properties in Saskatchewan and Alberta, including the Hells Angels clubhouse in Saskatoon, were raided in one morning as part of the investigation.
Over five kilograms of methamphetamine, 2.6 kilograms of cocaine, 107 grams of heroin, 145 pounds of marijuana, 456 dilaudid pills, 454 grams of hash, and 3,358 counterfeit Oxycontin pills — or fentanyl pills — were seized.
Seven vehicles, $100,000 in cash, tens of thousands of ammunition rounds, four ballistic vests, one conducted energy gun, and about 200 firearms were also taken.
Police initially laid 61 charges — including drug trafficking, weapon trafficking, assault and possession of property obtained by crime —before tacking on an additional 113 weapons-related charges in May against nine of the accused.
The newest charges include organized crime-related offences, drug offences and assault.
The seven accused include Mark Nowakowski, Justin Smith, Ryan Hillman, Armand Hounjet, Layne Boorman, Carl Trobak and Daryl Nagy.
Saskatoon police have alleged Nowakowski is the leader of the Fallen Saints motorcycle club — a “puppet club” for the Hells Angels — and that 11 of the 14 men arrested in the January raids associate with the Fallen Saints.
Two of the 14 are Hells Angels members, according to police.
A full list of charges is below:
Mark Nowakowski, 45, from Saskatoon
- two counts of participation in a criminal organization
- three counts of commit an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization
- three counts of direct a criminal offence for the benefit of a criminal organization
- recruitment to a criminal organization
- conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and cocaine
- trafficking fentanyl
- possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking
- conspiracy to possess proceeds of crime
Justin Smith, 33, from Saskatoon
- two counts of participation in a criminal organization
- three counts of commit an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization
- recruitment to a criminal organization
- assault
- conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and cocaine
- trafficking fentanyl
- possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking
- conspiracy to possess proceeds of crime
Ryan Hillman, 28, from Saskatoon
- two counts of participation in a criminal organization
- two counts of commit an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization
- recruitment to a criminal organization
- assault
Arman Hounjet, 44, from Melfort
- participation in a criminal organization
- commit an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization
- recruitment to a criminal organization
Layne Boorman, 25, from Saskatoon
- participation in a criminal organization
- commit an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization
Carl Trobak, 28, from Saskatoon
- participation in a criminal organization
- commit an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization
- assault
Daryl Nagy, 26, from Saskatoon
- commit an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization
- conspiracy to possess proceeds of crime
- possession of proceeds of crime
