Russo a Mob Hit? Roszko's Marijuana Grow-op -- Policing -- Organized Crime -- Justice Committee Report re Closing RCMP Detachments, RCMP Probe

The closure of nine (9) Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments in Quebec.

The Standing Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness has the honour to present its SIXTH REPORT

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), your Committee has considered the matter of the closure of nine (9) Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments in Quebec.

Your Committee draws to the attention of the House the fact that the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the Senior Management of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have not taken into account the opinion expressed by the Committee in its Fourth Report but rather have continued the process of closing nine RCMP detachments in Quebec.

Your Committee recommends that the Minister and the RCMP put a stop to this personnel redeployment plan and reopen the detachments concerned.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 28) is tabled.

PAUL DEVILLERS
Chair

Budget takes aim at organized crime with major staffing increase Apr. 15, 05, Kristy Lesh, Herald-Tribune

[. . . . ] It is one of the many highlights in the 2005 provincial budget unveiled Wednesday. In the budget, $15 million will immediately add an additional 100 RCMP officers in rural areas.

Another $6 million will be used to create 60 new positions for a specialized integrated unit target gangs and organized crime.

[. . . . ] Locally, he said Grande Prairie can expect to see a $70,000 increase in provincial funding over last year bringing provincial funding to about $663,000. [. . . . ]

If we extrapolate, Alberta with 10% of Canada's population, should be entitled to 10% of the money for national policing. Adding 60 RCMP officers at $100,000 equals $60 million. Yet the federal government is going to give $6 million?

For security, the figures of $8 billion -- then $9 billion -- then $10 billion are bandied about by Anne McLellan and others; yet, the government could not find $60 million to protect Canadians from the worst criminality. Consider the couple of billion $$$ the government has burned just over the past month. They could have had an extra 2000 officers at $100,000 per officer for the next ten years. Where is the money?

All across Canada, posts are undermanned and underfunded. Nevertheless, Canada has had enough money for the HRDC, the gun registry and the sponsorship programs. Maybe $$$ will be recoverable from one of these? From the Liberal Party? Or should there be some digging into PWGSC to see if some money could be found?




RCMP, Court documents detail extent of Roszko's Marijuana Grow-op

Court documents detail extent of Mountie killer Roszko's marijuana grow-op Bob Weber, Yahoo, Apr. 15, 05

EDMONTON (CP) - The marijuana grow operation on Mountie killer James Roszko's farm included at least nine 1,000-watt bulbs, fluorescent lights and an electronically timed water system to nurture his plants.

[. . . . ] RCMP also seized a laptop computer, a police radio scanner, two scales, vehicle information, marijuana seeds and two wallets containing $1,585.

Other items included spotlights, walkie-talkies, stereo equipment, a television, drug paraphernalia and a box of articles related to police and sex offences.

Inside the hut, investigators seized three sets of Alberta licence plates, two pickup trucks, a dirt bike, an all-terrain vehicle, an electrical generator and a lawn tractor.

It sounds like a grow op to me. The list of items included ammunition. The grow op may not be the main reason Roszko shot four RCMP officers, but it sounds like it to me. He was in business and that kind of business, to me, involves connections to a criminal gang(s).





More busts? Crown looks at evidence in alleged botched mob hit Rob Lamberti, April 16, 2005, Toronto Sun

[. . . . ] The attempted hit bore the classic assassination signature of the Quebec Hells Angels, developed during its bloody war with the Rock Machine, which left more than 150 people dead. [. . . . ]

Was the weapon registered? Mob hit

Mob hit alleged in Russo busts -- 4 GTA men arrested after year-long probe into drive-by shooting April 15, 2005, Kevin Connor, Toronto Sun

The drive-by shooting that left a North York woman paralyzed was described by police yesterday as a botched hit hatched by the mob. [. . . . ]

Paris Christoforou, 27, of Mississauga, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, nine counts of attempted murder and 21 weapons-related offences.

Blair identified Christoforou as a member of the Hells Angels Toronto North chapter.
Also arrested is Pietro "Peter" Scarcella, 54, of Vaughan, whom police allege ordered the hits.

He's charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.

Antonio Borrelli, 29, of Richmond Hill, and Mark Peretz, 38, of Vaughan, who Blair said are associates of Scarcella, were also arrested during the pre-dawn raids by the RCMP-led Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.

'I feel rage': Bullet victim

LOUISE RUSSO was shaken to the core when she learned that men living in her own neighbourhood with links to organized crime are accused of shooting and paralyzing her a year ago. [. . . . ]

'I never lost faith'

[. . . . ] she was gunned down and handed a life sentence of agony and pain. [. . . . ]

Top GTA lawyers hired for defence April 15, 2005, Chris Doucette, Toronto Sun

Who protects and exacts punishment for what was done to the victim?

Bloomenfeld, who represents Paris Christoforou, 27, of Mississauga, has defended mobsters such as Eddie Melo, the former boxer who was shot and killed in 2001.

John Rosen, known for defending Paul Bernardo, is representing Peter Scarcella, 54, of Vaughan, who police allege ordered the hit last year that left Russo in a wheelchair.

Perhaps most notable is James Lockyer, the lawyer for 38-year-old accused Mark Peretz. Lockyer, who was not in court, is a founding member of the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted and has helped Guy Paul Morin, David Milgaard and Steven Truscott clear their names.

Antonio Borrelli, 29, of Richmond Hill, has Azam Murji acting on his behalf.
Murji recently represented Harjit Singh, the Brampton pizzeria owner who alleged former immigration minister Judy Sgro offered to help him stay in Canada in exchange for pizza deliveries to her campaign headquarters. [. . . . ]

"I think Sgts. King and Preston are turning over in the grave!"

That was the comment from the person who brought this to my attention.




RCMP probe stirring pot Greg Weston, Parliamentary Bureau, Apr. 12, 05

[. . . . ] Exactly how Morselli's company came to have the catering contract at RCMP headquarters is not entirely clear. A federal Public Works official says that while that department handles the catering contracts in most federal buildings, Morselli's firm was picked by the RCMP division in Montreal -- the same one investigating Adscam.

[. . . . ] Buffet Trio also has the cafeteria contract at the huge federal tax centre in -- wait for it -- Jean Chretien's home town of Shawinigan.

A Public Works official says Buffet Trio first won that contract in a "competitive bid" in 1998, at the height of the sponsorship program.

Morselli's firm won the contract again last fall under the Martin government -- and still has it. [. . . . ]

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