Five people are facing gun and drug-related charges, as well as civil forfeitures, stemming from a “large-scale” investigation by Delta police.
A total of 47 charges have been sworn in what police say began as a small investigation focused on fuel purchase fraud quickly grew into a long-term project.
According to a DPD press release, the department’s crime reduction unit (CRU) learned in February of last year about a fuel fraud scheme involving fraudulent cardlock cards being produced and used for dozens of transactions valued at more than $25,000.
The investigation identified an organized group allegedly involved in the fraud, and the CRU executed a search warrant related to the fuel fraud investigation at a property in the 6100-block of 104th Street in Delta.
Police say a number of criminal offences were identified while executing the warrant, including loaded restricted and prohibited guns, a fully-operational drug lab, and an illegal marijuana grow operation. Investigators seized drugs with a street value of $1 million along with vehicles police say were associated with organized crime.
At the time the warrant was executed, one man was arrested on an outstanding Canada-wide warrant.
The two vehicles seized have since been subject to civil forfeiture proceedings, while authorities say other civil forfeiture processes are still in progress.
“When we commence an investigation, we follow the evidence and we don’t necessarily know where a specific file is going to go,” Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord said in a press release. “Our CRU showed commitment and follow-through on a complex investigation, with a complex disclosure package. I am very proud of the work of our CRU members.”
CRU submitted a report to Crown counsel recommending 73 charges against nine individuals, and on Monday (April 22) the Public Prosecution Service Canada (PPSC) approved charges against five people: Robert Johan Simonsen, 52, of Surrey; Richard Stephen Voszler, 48, of Delta; Robert Joseph Stephen Lavalee, 55, of Surrey; Robert Sean Rylands, 42, of Abbotsford; and Norman Sterner, 44, of Delta.
All five men have been charged with fraud under $5,000 — two counts each for Simonsen and Voszler, eight each for Lavallee and Sterner, and 11 for Rylands.
Voszler also faces 10 drug-related charges — including production of methamphetamine and possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, MDMA (also called “ecstasy” or “molly”), ketamine, amphetamine, dimethyltryptamine (“DMT”) and GHB (so-called “liquid ecstasy,” also known as the “date-rape drug”) for the purpose of trafficking.
He is also charged with seven weapons-related offences: three counts of possessing a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm; three counts of using, shipping or storing a prohibited firearm; and one count of possessing a prohibited weapon (a taser) without a licence.
Police say two of the five men have been arrested while the remaining three have warrants out for their arrest. The release did not say which two of the five were in custody; the Reporter has reached out to the DPD for clarification.
Police ask that the remaining three men turn themselves in.
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