Criminal charges were laid last Tuesday against three men from the Montreal area who are suspected of laundering more than $18 million in less than a year.
Yan Trépanier, 49, of Laval, Andrew Barera, 35, of Montreal, and Michael-Joey D'Opéra, 27, of Laval, were involved in money laundering and allegedly have ties to Colombian criminal organizations, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
The Integrated Proceeds of Crime investigation began in March 2020 following information received from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
During searches conducted in July 2021, police seized $46,000 in cash, prohibited firearms and devices, a silencer, and accounting books.
The RCMP reports that the investigation was conducted in cooperation with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and the Forensic Accounting Management Group (FAMG).
The three accused will appear in court on July 15 at the Montreal courthouse. They will face charges of money laundering, conspiracy to import and possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and possession of prohibited weapons and devices.
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 7, 2022
