Lac La Biche, Alberta – Between April 10, 2019 to April 12, 2019, the Lac La Biche RCMP and Eastern Alberta District Rural Crime Reduction Unit (EADRCRU), in conjunction with Cold Lake Police Dog Services (PDS) and EAD Criminal Intelligence, conducted operations in the Lac La Biche area which resulted in 10 arrests, search warrants being executed, the seizure of firearms and drugs, and the recovery of several stolen vehicles.

On April 10, 2019, EADRCRU and Lac La Biche RCMP located a stolen truck in a rural location South of Lac La Biche near Highway 36.  Two individuals in a residence near where the stolen vehicle was located were wanted on outstanding warrants from Rocky Mountain House, Smoky Lake, Beaumont, St Paul, and Edmonton.  Both were arrested.

A 16-year-old from Beaumont, who cannot be named due to the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), was arrested for outstanding warrants, which included charges of:

• Resisting a peace officer
• Failing to comply with conditions of a youth sentence order

The male was released to an adult and is scheduled to appear in court in Edmonton on May 22, 2019 and Lac La Biche on May 24, 2019.

Tyler Monias (19) from St Paul was arrested for outstanding warrants, which included charges of:

• Failing to attend court
• Failing to comply with a recognizance (X3)
• Failing to comply with the conditions of a youth sentence order

He was additionally charged with resisting a peace officer and failing to comply with a recognizance.  He was released following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Rocky Mountain House on April 24, 2019 and Fort Saskatchewan on May 9, 2019.

The stolen vehicle was towed for forensic analysis.

Later that day, a vehicle was spotted by EADRCRU avoiding Peace Officers conducting traffic control on the South end of Lac La Biche.  RCMP members stopped the vehicle and learned that the driver was criminally prohibited from operating a motor vehicle.

Joel Hope-Jackson (29) of Hay River was charged with driving while prohibited.  He was released and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche on June 10, 2019.

RCMP members then moved to a residence in Beaver Lake where they determined a priority offender was hiding from police.  RCMP members entered the residence and located the offender in the basement who resisted arrest, but was apprehended without injury.

Aaron Anderson (33) from Beaver Lake was charged with resisting a peace officer and was arrested for his outstanding warrants, which included charges of:

• Failing to comply with a recognizance (X3)
• Resisting a peace officer (X2)
• Escaping lawful custody

He was held in custody following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche on April 15, 2019.

On April 11, 2019, EADRCRU and Cold Lake PDS located two stolen vehicles nearby a residence in Heart Lake while looking for a priority offender in that area.  Another male wanted on outstanding warrant from Edmonton was also located nearby and arrested.

Cody ERASMUS (37) of Heart Lake, was arrested for his outstanding charges, which included:

• Fraud
• Possession of a stolen credit card
• Possession of property obtained by crime (X3)
• Failing to comply with a probation order (X2)
• Dangerous driving
• Flight from police (X2)
• Obstructing a peace officer

He was later released and is scheduled to appear in court in Edmonton on May 8, 2019.

The search for the priority offender continued and brought RCMP members to a row of apartment buildings in Lac La Biche.  During the search of an apartment of interest, EADRCRU located another wanted offender and arrested him without incident.

Tristan Monias (22) of Heart Lake was arrested for his outstanding charges from Lac La Biche, which included:

• Aggravated assault
• Breaking and entering
• Theft of truck (X2)
• Mischief

He was held in custody following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche on April 15, 2019.

Further investigation in the apartment buildings resulted in RCMP uncovering a drug trafficking operation being run out of one of the apartments.  RCMP members executed a search warrant on the apartment and recovered stolen firearms, prohibited devices, over 35 grams of a substance believed to be crack-cocaine packaged for sale, nearly 400 grams of cannabis, and approximately 250 “scratch and win” style lottery tickets.

Clayton Lucier (30) of Lac La Biche was charged with multiple offences, which include:

• Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking
• Possessing cannabis for the purpose of selling
• Possession of a prohibited weapon (X2)
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
• Possession of property obtained by crime
• Possession of a weapon obtained by crime (X2)
• Unsafe storage of a firearm (X2)

He was released following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche on April 29, 2019.

“Getting illegal guns off of the street is a priority for our unit,” said Cst. Guillaume Wilson (EADRCRU).  “It’s particularly concerning in this case that the firearms were seized in such close proximity to an elementary and middle school.  We will continue to partner with the Lac La Biche RCMP to do everything we can to eradicate this type of crime in the community.”

Late that afternoon, an anonymous tip was received indicating the location of the priority offender EADRCRU had been looking for earlier that morning.  RCMP members intercepted a vehicle the offender was occupying in Lac La Biche.  The offender tried escaping, but was quickly apprehended by EADRCRU after a short foot chase.

Cason Monias (18) of Lac La Biche was charged with resisting a peace officer (X2) and failing to comply with a probation order (X2).  He was also arrested for his outstanding warrants, which included charges of:

• Failing to comply with a youth order (X6)
• Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 (X2)

He was held in custody following a hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche on April 15, 2019.

On April 12, 2019, as a result of collaboration with the Strathcona County General Investigation Section, a joint operation was organized by EADRCRU, Lac La Biche RCMP, Cold Lake PDS, and EAD Criminal Intelligence to apprehend Clayton Huppie who was wanted in connection with an armed robbery incident in Sherwood Park.  A Crime Stoppers tip had been received that Huppie was hiding at a residence in Beaver Lake.

RCMP members located the residence and surrounded it.  RCMP members entered the residence and located Huppie hiding in the basement of the house with another male.  Both were arrested and a prohibited firearm was also recovered.  Additionally, a stolen vehicle hidden behind the residence was located by EADRCRU.

Clayton Huppie (35) of Lac La Biche was arrested for his outstanding charges, which included:

• Robbery
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
• Driving while prohibited
• Failing to comply with a recognizance (X3)

He was also charged with several new offences, including:

• Failing to comply with conditions of a recognizance
• Possession of a prohibited firearm
• Possession of a weapon contrary to an order

He was remanded in custody following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Sherwood Park on April 24, 2019 and Lac La Biche on April 15, 2019.

Brian Boostrom (24) of Lac La Biche was charged with resisting a peace officer and failing to comply with a probation order.

He was released and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche on May 13, 2019.

“The offenders operating in Eastern Alberta need to recognize that EADRCRU is not going away,” said Cst. Wilson.  “We are going to continue using an intelligence based approach and partnerships to apprehend offenders and make our communities safer.”