Coquitlam RCMP say they have disrupted a Coquitlam crime family that had been dealing drugs, amassing guns and living a lavish lifestyle.
An investigation dubbed "ENightlife" and lasting 17 months has led to 58 charges against 11 people, along with the seizure of guns, drugs, luxury cars and cash, according to a press release from the Mounties.
The press release states that ENightlife started when the Coquitlam RCMP Drugs and Organized Crime team targeted a criminal organization trafficking in legal and illegal drugs including fentanyl, Alprazolam (Xanax), cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and MDMA (ecstasy).
One of the alleged kingpins, according to the RCMP, is 34-year-old Coquitlam resident Andrew Edwin Robert Leach, who is facing 20 charges, including directing a criminal organization and conspiracy to commit drug trafficking plus 14 firearms offences. Charges against the other accused include membership in a criminal organization, trafficking in a controlled substance and 25 firearms offences.
Leach was “very well-known to police," Cpl. Mike McLaughlin, the RCMP spokesperson, confirmed.
He was identified as a priority for investigation by both the local force and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, which uses a predictive targeting process called the Provincial Tactical Enforcement Priority.
The cooperation between police agencies is one of the key elements of the case, according to Insp. Bryon Massie, who said in a statement that the “success of ENightlife is an example of what happens when citizens work with their local police and police agencies work with each other — what happens is we create safer communities together.”
Drugs seized in the investigation include thousands of counterfeit Oxycontin pills containing fentanyl; Alprazolam (Xanax) pills; as much as two pounds of marijuana; as well as small amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine, heroin and MDMA (ecstasy) in pill and powdered form, suggesting a “broad-based spectrum of drugs, for a broad spectrum of users,” said Cpl. McLaughlin.
Police also seized $784,603.31 in Canadian cash as well as $5,599 in U.S. bills plus four cars, including a 2009 Mercedes-Benz E320, a 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL55, a 2007 Nisan Altima and a 2009 Acura TL.
As well, a dozen of weapons were seized, many of them modified, as well as a number of high-capacity pistol magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition of various calibers.
Such a cache of deadly weapons is a reminder of the violence associated with drug trafficking, McLaughlin said.
Police didn't say where in Coquitlam the family lived but allege family members were involved in the crime group, including Leach’s mother, Karen Leach, 69, who is charged with several offences including possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking; his sister, Rhonda Leach, 40, who has been charged with possession of proceeds of crime; and his nephew Marcus Leach, 19, who faces charges for several firearm offences and possession of proceeds of crime.
Merissa Demosten, 24, and Arghavan Ebrahimi, 25, both of Coquitlam, have been charged with a number of offences, including membership in a criminal organization and trafficking in a controlled substance.
Other Tri-City residents facing charges in the case are: Golareh-Sadat Ehtesham-Far, 25, and Maria Kemp, 26, both of Port Moody, and Morvarid Hashemi, 25, of Port Coquitlam.
As well, a father and son from Langley has been charged in the case: Ronald James Yaroshuk, 59, and his son, Zach Morgan Ronald Joyce, 25.
McLaughlin didn't lay out many details of the case, which is still under investigation, except to say that thousands of hours, including overtime by the Coquitlam RCMP Drugs and Organized Crime team, was spent on the investigation.
“It’s a good day when we can take these guns off the street and effectively dismantle a criminal organization,” he told The Tri-City News Friday.
According to police, firearms seized included a sawed-off shotgun, two unmodified 12-gauge shotguns, a Steyr AUG A 1 rifle, a 1 Norinco carbine, a Sterling sub-machine gun with a prohibited magazine and silencer, a 9 mm carbine, a Cobray M11/9 submachine gun, six prohibited carbine magazines, a Steyr 9 mm pistol, a Beretta .40 caliber pistol, a Glock 17 pistol, a modified Glock 23 fully automatic pistol, four high-capacity pistol magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition of various calibres.
Both Demosten and Andrew Leach remain in custody on the charges while the others have been released with conditions, with a number of appearances in court slated over the next two weeks.
Police say anyone with information about criminal activity in Coquitlam RCMP’s jurisdiction of Coquitlam and PoCo should call the non-emergency line at 604-945-1550 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or report it online at www.solvecrime.ca.
THE CHARGES
The full list of charges is as follows:
Merissa Demosten, is in custody, charged with:
• membership in a criminal organization
• conspiracy to commit drug trafficking
• trafficking in a controlled substance
• possession of a controlled substance
• possession for the purpose of trafficking (x 5)
Arghavan Ebrahimi, is charged with:
• membership in a criminal organization
• conspiracy to commit drug trafficking
• trafficking in a controlled substance
• possession of a controlled substance
Golareh-Sadat Ehtesham-Far, is charged with:
• membership in a criminal organization
• conspiracy to commit drug trafficking
• trafficking in a controlled substance
Morvarid Hashemi is charged with:
• membership in a criminal organization
• conspiracy to commit drug trafficking
• trafficking in a controlled substance
Zach Morgan Ronald Joyce is charged with:
• conspiracy to commit drug trafficking
• trafficking in a controlled substance
Mariah Kemp is charged with:
• trafficking in a controlled substance
• conspiracy to commit drug trafficking
Andrew Edwin Robert Leach is charged with:
• directing a criminal organization
• conspiracy to commit drug trafficking
• trafficking in a controlled substance
• possession of a controlled substance (x 2)
• possession of proceeds of crime
• possession of a prohibited firearm (x 3)
• possession of a firearm contrary to prohibition (x 6)
• possession of a restricted firearm without a license (x 2)
• possession of a prohibited device for a firearm (x 2)
• possession of a non-restricted firearm without a license
Karen Leach is charged with:
• possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking
• possession of a restricted firearm without a license
• possession of a prohibited firearm (x 2)
• possession of a prohibited device for a firearm (x 2)
• possession of a non-restricted firearm without a license
Marcus Leach is charged with:
• possession of proceeds of crime
• possession of a prohibited firearm without a license (x 2)
• possession of a restricted firearm without a license
• possession of a prohibited device for a firearm (x 2)
Rhonda Leach is charged with:
• possession of proceeds of crime
Ronald James Yaroshuk is charged with:
• trafficking in a controlled substance
