Officers in the Illegal Gambling Unit initiated the investigation after receiving complaints from the Thessalon First Nation Community regarding illegal video gaming machines. The investigation revealed that illegal payouts were being provided from video gambling devices at Rob’s Variety, located at 27 Maple Ridge Road, Thessalon First Nation.

As a result, police were able to execute a search warrant and the following people were charged with various Criminal Code offences:

1) SIMON, Robert, Stanley, (male) age 54 of Thessalon First Nation

Charged with;

• Keep a common gaming house

• Keep a common gaming house – owner permit

• Keep Machines for gambling

2) BOULRICE-SIMON, Shawna (female) age 23 of Thessalon First Nation

Charged with;

• Keep a common gaming house

• Keep machines for gambling

• Possession for the purpose of trafficking (marihuana)

3) OLIVER, Brianne (female) age 18 of Thessalon First Nation

Charged with;

• Keep a common gaming house

• Keep machines for gambling

4) Young Offender (female) of Thessalon First Nation, cannot be named due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Charged with;

• Keep a common gaming house

• Keep machines

The accused are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, November 26, 2009 at 10:00 am at 266 Main Street Thessalon, Ontario.

Officers seized a total of eight (8) slot machines, approx $1,500 in cash, over 20 grams of individually packaged marihuana and other related paraphernalia.

The Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, Illegal gambling Unit is a provincial partnership between eight police services in Ontario including Peel, York, London, Durham, Windsor, Hamilton, Ottawa and the OPP. The partnership is responsible for the investigation of province-wide illegal gambling activities with an emphasis on organized crime.