Charges stayed in one of Ontario's largest Mob busts after alleged illegal conduct by investigators
Defence says police had no right to listen to calls with lawyers as part of Project Sindacato
One of the largest police investigations into organized crime in Ontario's history has fallen apart after police allegedly illegally intercepted phone calls as part of a multimillion-dollar probe into suspected Mob activity in the Greater Toronto Area, CBC News has learned.
The operation, dubbed Project Sindacato, resulted in charges against nine people in Canada who police alleged were part of a criminal organization with ties to the Mob in Italy.
On Jan. 27, prosecutors stayed the charges against six of the accused, including alleged boss Angelo Figliomeni, after defence lawyers raised concerns that investigators committed "significant breaches of solicitor/client privilege." Three of the accused previously had their charges stayed in 2020.
"The defence has taken the position that the entirety of the police investigation was tainted by what we would allege to be unlawful and illegal conduct by both York Regional Police officers and by members of the Canada Revenue Agency," Michael Lacy, Figliomeni's lawyer, said at last month's hearing following a defence application to have the charges stayed.
Police said at the news conference that the alleged Figliomeni organization was closely connected to the 'Ndrangheta, the most powerful organized crime group in Italy and one of the richest in the world.
Based in the southern Italian region of Calabria, the 'Ndrangheta are believed to make more than $80 billion a year — largely from drug trafficking, according to a 2014 news report.
Authorities involved in the case alleged that Angelo Figliomeni is the head of the 'Ndrangheta in Toronto, but Lacy said the York Regional Police investigation uncovered no such evidence.
Continued…. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/sindacato-charges-stayed-mob-york-police-1.5925133
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