Charges stayed in one of Ontario’s largest anti-Mafia operations after alleged illegal conduct by police

Toronto, Canada – One of the largest law enforcement investigations into organized crime in Ontario has fallen apart after police allegedly illegally intercepted phone calls into suspected Mob activity in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

‘Project Sindacato’, resulted in charges against nine people in Canada who police alleged were part of a criminal organization with ties to Italian Organized Crime (IOC) in Italy. 

In January, prosecutors stayed the charges against accused persons, including alleged mob boss Angelo Figliomeni, after defence lawyers highlighted concerns that investigators committed “significant breaches of solicitor/client privilege.” Three accused parties previously had their charges stayed in 2020.

“The defence has taken the position that the entirety of the police investigation was tainted by what we would allege to be unlawful and illegal conduct by both York Regional Police officers and by members of the Canada Revenue Agency,” Michael Lacy, Figliomeni’s lawyer, said at last month’s hearing.

Project Sindacato was an 18-month, $8 million joint task force investigation that commenced in 2018 involving eight different police services, including York Regional Police, the Canada Revenue Agency and police investigators in Italy.

The group was accused of running drug trafficking, fraud, illegal gambling and laundering money through casinos, York Regional Police said. Italian State Police also arrested 12 people in connection with the investigation whom they described at a press conference on July 18, 2019 as “closely associated to the Canadian branch of the operation.”

Police said at the news conference that the alleged Figliomeni organization was closely connected to the ‘Ndrangheta,’ the most powerful organized crime group in Italy.