Sixteen people are facing a total of 82 charges following an OPP investigation into cocaine trafficking between the Greater Toronto Area and the Haliburton area.

Dubbed Project Imperial, the nine-month investigation targeted individuals allegedly trafficking cocaine from the GTA to the Haliburton area, about 100 kilometres north of Peterborough. The investigation involved the OPP’s organized crime enforcement bureau and the Central Region community street crime units.

“This investigation led police to identify a significant property crime network that was directly linked to the accused,” said Sgt. Jason Folz of OPP Central Region. “Police recovered stolen property that had been taken from both residential and commercial properties in Haliburton County.”

On Jan. 30, police executed six search warrants in the Haliburton Highlands area, Oshawa and Scarborough with the assistance of the OPP’s tactics and rescue, aviation and canine units, emergency response team and officers with the Haliburton Highlands and City of Kawartha Lakes OPP detachments.

Police say officers seized 400 grams of cocaine/crack cocaine, two grams of fentanyl, nine long guns, two black powder revolver firearms, a revolver firearm, a replica handgun and more than $12,000 in cash.

Folz said investigators were able to recover stolen property, including generators, power tools and solar panels.

Charged with trafficking a Schedule 1 substance (cocaine) are:

• Bryce Ballingall, 58, of Oshawa (three counts)
• Blair Beetlestone, 30, of Haliburton (one count)
• Amanda Corby, 31, of Haliburton (twp counts)
• Joel Fisher, 35, of Haliburton (two counts)
• Katlyn Hollands, 28, of Dysart et al (one count)
• Sean Martin, 38, of Haliburton (four counts)
• Steve McColl, 32, of Haliburton (two counts)
• Brian Mulholland, 37, of Haliburton (one count)
• Curtis Penick, 30, of Haliburton (one count)
• Juevante Ranger, 24, of Toronto (two counts)
• Christine Reynolds, 62, of Haliburton (five counts)
• Sebastian Smith, 30, of Ajax (five counts)
• Stephen Soninen, 65, of Carnarvon (one count)
• Gerrett Upton, 25, of Minden Hills (one count)

Ballingall, Ranger, Reynolds and Upton were also charged with two counts of possession of a Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking, while Derek Wilson, 31, of Minden Hills, and Smith are each charged with one count.

Additionally, police laid charges of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 against Corby (one count), Ballingall (three counts), Fisher (two counts), Martin (six counts), Penick (one count), Ranger (two counts), Reynolds (three counts) and Smith (five counts).

Martin was additionally charged with four counts of trafficking in stolen property and two counts of failure to comply with a recognizance.

OPP also charged Shelby Montgomery, 28, of Haliburton, with failure to comply with a recognizance.

The investigation is ongoing, Folz said.

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