Warrant leads to seizure of drugs, gun

January 3, 2025

Five people have been charged after police seized drugs and a loaded handgun following a search of a south side residence.

Thunder Bay Police Service officers with the Intelligence Unit and Emergency Task Unit executed a search warrant at a residence in the 1000 block of Donald Street East on the afternoon of Thursday, January 3.

 

Police seized quantities of suspected cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl. The estimated street value of the seized drugs exceeds $120,000. Officers also seized a firearm, cash totalling more than $13,000 and paraphernalia consistent with drug trafficking.

 

Michelle BENOIT, 39, of Thunder Bay; Delmar FLETCHER, 19, of Scarborough; Trevor HOFFMANN, 21, of Scarborough, a 17-year-old from Bradford, and a 15-year-old from Toronto are charged with the following:

 

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (cocaine)

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (fentanyl)

• Possession of Proceeds of Crime over $5,000

• Careless Storage of a Firearm

• Possession of Loaded Prohibited Firearm

• Knowledge of Unauthorized Possession of Firearm

• Unauthorized Possession of Weapon

• Unauthorized Possession of Firearm

 

BENOIT is also charged with Breach of Judicial Release Order. The 15-year-old is also charged with Possession of Prohibited Firearm Contrary to Order x2, Breach of Judicial Release Order, Breach of Peace Bond, and Breach of Probation x2. The 17-year-old is also charged with Breach of Peace Bond x2.

 

The accused appeared in court on Friday.

 

The investigation remains ongoing.

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Police are cautioning the public to be mindful of text message scams. The Thunder Bay Police Service has recently received a report from a resident who received a text message to participate in an online survey about their local police service. The number that sent the message is not obtainable when called. The Thunder Bay Police Service is not currently conducting a survey, and ones conducted in the past have not involved text message invitations to participate. Scammers will frequently send messages that include links. These may be in the form of invitations to participate in surveys, notification of failed mail delivery, payment issues for a subscription service, or a notice from a financial institution. These messages are scams, especially if they refer to a financial institution where the recipient does not have an account, a service the recipient does not use, or if it refers to a delivery the recipient is not expecting. Do not click on the links and delete the messages. Police urge family members and friends to speak to those who may be vulnerable to being targeted by scams. For further information about various frauds and scams that may be circulating, please visit https://www.thunderbaypolice.ca/safety/fraud-prevention or the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre online at: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm To make a fraud/cyber crime online report to the Thunder Bay Police Service, please visit: https://www.services.tryrubicon.com/thunder-bay-police-service/online-reports/report/fraud-cybercrime
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