Project Badminton, an investigation by RCMP NL Federal Serious and Organized Crime, has concluded with multiple charges for drug offences for four individuals based in the St. John's metro area. The 30-month investigation, assisted by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the RCMP-RNC Joint Force Operation West, significantly disrupted a criminal organization responsible for drug and human trafficking – RCMP NL announced human trafficking and other charges in September 2022 (https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2022/rcmp-nl-project-badminton-disrup...).
The following additional charges have been laid. All four individuals are scheduled to appear in St. John's Provincial Court on August 24, 2023.
Thirty-six-year-old Dominic Delisle of St. John's:
- Conspiracy to Traffic in Cocaine
- Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine
Delisle is also facing multiple criminal human trafficking and firearms charges, which were laid in 2022 as a result of Project Badminton.
Twenty-five-year-old Erik Mello of Torbay:
- Conspiracy to Traffic in Cocaine
- Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine
Mello is also facing multiple firearms charges, which were laid in 2022 as a result of Project Badminton.
Forty-year-old Richard Noftall of Portugal Cove-St. Phillips
- Conspiracy to Traffic in Cocaine
- Trafficking in Cocaine - two counts
- Conspiracy to Traffic in Fentanyl
Twenty-nine-year-old Travis Thorne of St. John's
- Conspiracy to Traffic in Cocaine
- Conspiracy to Traffic in Fentanyl
- Trafficking in Cocaine - two counts
- Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine - two counts
- Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Fentanyl
- Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Hydromorphone
- Possession of Cannabis for Unauthorized Distribution
- Possession of the Proceeds of Crime - Canadian Currency
Project Badminton resulted in the seizure of:
- In excess of five kilograms of cocaine
- 3000 counterfeit Oxycodone pills laced with Fentanyl and THC 320 Supeudol (Oxycodone) pills
- 60 Dilaudid pills
- $26,000 cash
- Sixteen pounds of cannabis
- A loaded semi-automatic restricted handgun with an extended magazine.
Background: