14-month investigation nets 15 suspects and $420K worth of drugs in Nickel City alone

Project Skylark resulted in the seizure of cocaine, methamphetamine, Fentanyl and other drugs. (Supplied)

1 / 1 Project Skylark resulted in the seizure of cocaine, methamphetamine, Fentanyl and other drugs. (Supplied)

A Greater Sudbury man faces 59 charges related to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Criminal Code of Canada and the Cannabis Act following the completion of a 14-month investigation named Project Skylark.

The 33-year-old man is one of seven people from Greater Sudbury arrested and charged in Project Skylark. In total, 15 people have been arrested in a joint-forces operation working in collaboration with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Biker Enforcement Unit (B.E.U.), the Niagara Police Service and the Ottawa Police Service.

Greater Sudbury Police Service Integrated Crime Team (I.C.T.) was part of the investigation, related to drug trafficking involving the Hells Angels Nomads, Red Devils Motorcycle Club and the Hooligans Motorcycle Club.

Around 6 a.m., on Aug. 1, 2019, detectives from Greater Sudbury Police Service's ICT with assistance from the tactical unit, the Barrie Police Service Tactical Support Unit and Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Emergency Services Unit, as well as the OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Tactical Response Unit (TRU) executed five search warrants at various locations across Greater Sudbury.

The seven suspects arrested are:

Jacob Aubrey, 33, faces 59 charges: possession for the purpose of trafficking a Schedule 1 substance (cocaine); possession for the purpose of trafficking a Schedule 1 substance (methamphetamine); possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling it; obtaining or offering to obtain cannabis by any method or process; 27 counts of possessing a prohibited firearm or weapon; five counts of possessing an unauthorized firearm; seven counts of possessing an unauthorized weapon; possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000; possessing a loaded restricted firearm; five counts of possessing a restricted firearm, possessing restricted ammunition; and five counts of careless storage of a firearm.

Aubrey remains in custody with a release date to be determined by the courts.

Shannon Marynuk. 32, faces 29 charges: possession for the purpose of trafficking a Schedule 1 substance (cocaine); possession for the purpose of trafficking a Schedule 1 substance (methamphetamine); possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling it; obtaining or offering to obtain cannabis by any method or process; five counts of possessing an unauthorized firearm; seven counts of possessing an unauthorized weapon; possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000; possessing a loaded restricted firearm; five counts of possessing a restricted firearm, possessing restricted ammunition; and five counts of careless storage of a firearm.

Marynuk has been released with a court date to be determined.

Darren Gerrard, no age provided, of Blind River, faces nine charges: Conspiracy to traffic cocaine; failing to comply with recognizance; failing to comply with conditional sentence order; possession for the purpose of trafficking a Schedule I substance (cocaine); possession of a Schedule I substance (oxycodone); possession of an unauthorized weapon; possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition; storage contrary to regulations contrary to section 86(2) of the Criminal Code; and possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order.

Gerrard is in custody with a court date to be determined.

Gatean Carriere, 32, of Hanmer, faces six charges: three counts of possession of cannabis for the purpose of distribution, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000; possession for the purpose of trafficking of a Schedule 1 substance (methamphetamine); possession for the purpose of trafficking of a Schedule 1 substance (cocaine).

Carriere has been released with a court date to be determined.

David Nan, 21, of Greater Sudbury, faces nine charges: possession for the purpose of trafficking a Schedule 1 substance (cocaine); possession for the purpose of trafficking a Schedule 1 substance (methamphetamine); commission of an offence for a criminal organization; fail to comply with recognizance; possession for the purpose of trafficking a Schedule III substance (psilocybin); possess cannabis for the purpose of distribution; possession of property obtained by crime; procedural arrest section 524 of the Criminal Code.

Nan remains in custody with a court date to be determined.

Dominik Viau, 22, of Greater Sudbury, faces four charges: Two counts of trafficking in a schedule I substance (cocaine); Trafficking in a Schedule I substance (methamphetamine); commission of an offence for a criminal organization.

Viau has been released with a court date to be determined.

Aaron “Joseph” Piccinetti, 41, of Greater Sudbury, faces eight charges: extortion; two counts of trafficking in a Schedule I (cocaine); trafficking in a Schedule I substance (methamphetamine).

Piccinetti is in custody with a release date to be determined by the courts.

The search warrants in Greater Sudbury resulted in the seizure of $420,000 worth of drugs, police said, including $150,000 worth of methamphetamine, $90,000 worth of Fentanyl, $150,000 worth of cocaine, and $30,000 worth of shatter, as well as five handguns, three long guns and $50,000 in cash.

Project SKYLARK began as a high-level investigation targeting members of the Hells Angels Nomads, the Red Devils MC and the Hooligans MC and their association to a drug-trafficking network, police said. Members from these gangs facilitated the trafficking of cocaine, methamphetamine and Fentanyl throughout the Niagara Region, Sudbury and Ottawa areas.

During the course of the investigation, the investigative team combined to seize 12.5 kg of cocaine, 12.2 kg of cannabis, 640 grams of shatter, 1,400 packages of cannabis edibles, Fentanyl patches, 2,000 methamphetamine tablets, as well as Hells Angels and Red Devils MC patches.

Project Skylark investigators seized 11 firearms and 700 rounds of ammunition, $75,000 in Canadian currency, $30,000 in jewelry, and multiple vehicles, including three motorcycles and one residence.

"The results of this investigation have significantly impacted the Hells Angels Nomads and Red Devils MC drug trafficking network,” said OPP Superintendent Bryan MacKillop, director, Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau. “This investigation will be ongoing, and anyone linked to these criminal enterprises could be subject to further investigation."

