A two-year investigation has dismantled what police allege was a major criminal organization operating in Grande Prairie and surrounding areas.
Six individuals now face a total of 22 charges following the conclusion of Project Glacier, a probe led by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).
Authorities say Doug Wheeler, 42, of Wembley, Alta., was the alleged leader of the group, which was reportedly trafficking drugs throughout Grande Prairie and the British Columbia Peace Region.
Wheeler has been charged with instructing the commission of an offence for a criminal organization and conspiracy to traffic drugs, among other offences.
"Doug Wheeler was allegedly the head of a criminal organization that was deeply rooted in Grande Prairie and beyond," said Insp. Brad Lundeen of ALERT.
"Drug trafficking, linked to his group, would have caused considerable community harm."
The investigation concluded on March 13, resulting in the arrest of Wheeler and five others: Joseph Collicutt, 38, and Jesse Lukac, 31, both from Grande Prairie; Patrick Arcand, 26, from Sexsmith; Cody Stephen Yanishewski, 27, from Grande Prairie; and Shannon Pearse, 31, also from Wembley.
Police seized approximately $283,000 worth of drugs and cash during the investigation. The haul included 2,219 grams of cocaine, 319 grams of cocaine buffing agents, 1,110 illicit opioid pills, and various amounts of illegal steroids.
Two firearms were also recovered, including a loaded handgun that had previously been reported stolen. The weapons have been sent to ALERT’s Provincial Firearms Solutions Lab for ballistics testing and analysis.
Project Glacier began in November 2022 and involved support from multiple agencies, including the Grande Prairie RCMP, Grande Prairie Police Service, Public Prosecution Services Canada, Alberta Registries Special Investigations Unit, Forensic Accounting Management Group (FAMG), and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC).
The accused are scheduled to appear in court on May 26, Grande Prairie.
ALERT is funded by the Alberta government and combines the province’s top law enforcement resources to combat serious and organized crime.
