NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
*************************
On Jan. 2 2019, members of the St.Catharines Street Crime Unit, 1 District Detective Office and the Guns, Gangs and Grow Unit embarked on a drug trafficking investigation. On this date, Police arrested a St.Catharines resident with the assistance of the NRPS K9 unit. Upon his arrest, police seized a quantity of cocaine.
Police applied for and were granted a Controlled Drugs and Substance Act search warrant and a Criminal Code search warrant for this person's Carlton Street apartment.
A search of the apartment revealed two firearms which were loaded with the appropriate ammunition; these firearms are classified as a prohibited firearm and a restricted firearm. Police also located a quantity of cocaine, an active grow op and Canadian currency.
Arrested and charged was:
Twenty-two-year-old Kyle Watson of St.Catharines:
- Traffic a controlled substance - cocaine
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking to wit cocaine possession of a loaded prohibited firearm
- Possession of a loaded restricted firearm
- Possess restricted or prohibited firearm without holding licence
- Store firearm or restricted weapon x2
- Careless storage of firearm, weapon or prohibited device x2
- Possess restricted firearm knowingly not holding licence x2
- Possession of prohibited device or ammo
- Unauthorized possession of prohibited device or ammo x2
- Unauthorized possession of prohibited/restricted weapon x2
- Possession of proceeds of crime under $5,000
- Cultivate more than four plants in dwelling house
- Possession for use in production or distribution of illicit cannabis
- Possess more than four cannabis plants
In total, police seized 38.3 grams of cocaine, 77 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, a sawed off .22 caliber rifle and a 9 mm pistol. Police also seized $3,081 in Canadian currency.
Watson was held in custody pending a bail hearing on Jan. 6 2019.
*************************
