A Dentville house was the scene of two dangerous police tasks over the holidays where serious criminal activities were allegedly taking place.
On Boxing Day, a 911 call and a keenly alert RCMP member thwarted plans of two men who witnesses say were carrying a handgun while allegedly attempting to extort $2,500 from residents of the 38000 block of Buckley Avenue.
The residence was again the scene of alleged criminal activity on Tuesday (Jan. 2) when RCMP swarmed the house to execute a search warrant under suspicion of drugs.
At 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday Dec. 26, 911 dispatchers received a call alleging two men were trying to extort $2,500 from residents living on Buckley Avenue using a handgun.
The suspects had fled the Dentville house, but following interviews with residents, police officers were able to determine who the men were.
RCMP was on the lookout for Michael William Sloan and Robert Phillip Billy when an observant officer spotted the suspects' vehicle in Valleycliffe. The men attempted at first to elude the lone RCMP member, but the addition of another police cruiser allowed two officers to corner the suspects.
"Patrols by one of our general duty members located the suspect vehicle and did a high-risk takedown in front of the hospital," said Cst. John Marinis.
The high risk was due to allegations of guns, but Marinis would not confirm whether the suspects were actually in possessions of weapons pending an investigation.
Sloan and Billy were charged with extortion and uttering threats and further investigation led to a search warrant on the men's home in the 1100 block of Plateau Drive in Valleycliffe. On Wednesday Dec. 27, RCMP discovered and seized a grow operation of 335 marijuana plants at the Plateau Drive residence. The men were subsequently charged with production of a controlled substance.
Sloan and Billy appeared in court and were released on four conditions set by the Judicial Justice of the Peace: not to be within 50 metres of 38000 block of Buckley Avenue, not to possess weapons, no contact with the alleged victims and to keep the peace and "be of good behaviour".
The RCMP would soon return to the 38000 Buckley Avenue block, however, this time with the house's residents in their sights. RCMP suspected criminal activity despite a November raid on the house, which resulted in two arrests.
At 10 p.m. Tuesday (Jan. 2), RCMP members and police dogs executed another search warrant on the house, which has infrared surveillance cameras mounted on it.
Upon entry, police discovered "substantial quantities" of heroin, cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana along with various weapons and stolen property, according to a RCMP news release.
Two men and one woman were arrested, but RCMP could not confirm whether the suspects were the victims of the alleged extortion since the house was the scene of "lots of coming and going," according to Cpl. Dave Ritchie.
Two of the three suspects were arrested in November on drug trafficking charges stemming from a search warrant on the property, but had been released on conditional sentence orders.
The suspects will remain in custody pending charges that will follow from a Crown review of RCMP recommendations.
