BMW seized from Montreal gangster in Kamloops linked to sex trafficking
The B.C. government wants to keep a 2018 BMW seized from a Montreal gangster linked to a murder plot and sex trafficking.
Article content
Pierre-André Baptiste was arrested by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit in December in Kamloops, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by the B.C. director of civil forfeiture.
Article content
Article content
The statement of claim alleges that since at least May 2024, Baptiste has used the BMW 'to transport women, including youth, between Alberta and British Columbia to exploit them for sexual services while making a profit.'
Article content
CFSEU officers arrested Baptiste on Dec. 11, 2024 on a Canada-wide warrant for conspiracy to commit murder. The Montreal Police Service and the Quebec provincial police announced the same day that Baptiste and others had been arrested in connection with three murders committed in Charlemagne and Montreal in 2023 and 2024.
Article content
Article content
La Presse reported at the time that Baptiste is linked to a Laval street gang called 24 — the number on a pendant the 35-year-old can be seen wearing in a rap video on YouTube.
Article content
The B.C. lawsuit said Baptiste had been living in Edmonton before his December arrest.
Article content
The director alleged Baptiste used the BMW X5 to commit several crimes including: 'recruiting, transporting, transferring, receiving, holding, concealing or harbouring a person, or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person, for the purpose of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation,' receiving a financial benefit from the commission of an offence, procuring a person to offer sexual services, possession of the proceeds of crime and money laundering.
Article content
Article content
'All or some portion of the defendant's interest in the vehicle is proceeds of unlawful activity because it was acquired, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the unlawful activity,' the statement of claim said.
Article content
Article content
It noted he had a criminal record with convictions for possession for the purpose of trafficking, assault, sexual assault, firearms charges, uttering threats and obstruction.
Article content
No statement of defence has been filed by Baptiste.
Article content
In June 2023, he was arrested in Victoria and charged with uttering death threats and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. The case was transferred out of province in October 2023.
Article content
But the B.C. director of civil forfeiture filed another lawsuit in September 2023, requesting an order to keep $14,555 seized from Baptiste by Victoria Police, alleging he 'procured a person to provide sexual services' then got into a disagreement about payment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
35-year-old man found dead near Regina, RCMP investigating as suspicious
Social Sharing RCMP are investigating after a man was found dead near Grand Coulee, just west of Regina, on Tuesday. "Due to the circumstances of the incident, Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes is investigating the death, which is considered suspicious," RCMP said in a news release. The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is also involved with the investigation. The man has been identified as 35-year-old Aron Lunan from Regina. RCMP are hoping to speak to anyone who had contact with Lunan or saw him between the afternoon of Monday, June 9, and the morning of Tuesday, June 10. Police say Lunan was last seen in Regina's North Central neighbourhood. He's described as 5'3", with a slim build and brown hair. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie with skulls and grey flames, black sweatpants with a praying hands design, and a green jacket with a white sticker on the upper left chest. RCMP say he's known to ride a black Supercycle bike, and the bike has not yet been located. "Investigators say the front forks are painted white and the word 'Fox' is handwritten on the front shock absorber," the release said. Anyone with information is asked to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Heated Hampstead council meeting ends with police removing former mayor
Former Hampstead mayor William Steinberg was removed by police during a heated council meeting after clashing with Mayor Jeremy Levi over spending and transparency. The mayor and former mayor of Hampstead went toe to toe during Monday's council meeting, hurling accusations of misappropriating public funds at each other in a heated exchange that ended with the latter being expelled by Montreal police (SPVM). According to the SPVM, the town of Hamstead requested police assistance in expelling a 77-year-old man who was behaving 'inappropriately or disruptively' during the meeting. The confrontation lasted about 15 minutes, during which both men continuously interrupted each other. 'The police intervened to remove this man. There was nothing criminal and no arrest was made,' said SPVM spokesperson Julien Lévesque. Former mayor William Steinberg called his removal 'disgraceful' and said that he was looking for answers. Former mayor of Hampstead William Steinberg During the exchange, Steinberg confronted Mayor Jeremy Levi about a 40.5 per cent salary increase for councillors, totalling $207,738, and questioned expensive travel and hotel stays, including a $900-a-night stay at the Dallas Omni hotel. 'I want to be clear, I'm not saying they did anything illegal. You elect people, they can pretty much do what they want, and it's too bad you elected them. So, 40 per cent salary increase, of course, it's outrageous,' said Steinberg in a recent interview. He said his wife was also kicked out of the meeting when she later 'called [Levi] on a lie. 'I mean, this is not transparent. This is not honest,' said Steinberg. Steinberg was mayor of Hampstead for 16 years until he lost to Levi in 2021. Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi Levi defended the salary increase, saying that Steinberg 'erroneously' advised the council that the mayor's salary has to be three times that of a councillor. 'We looked into that and that was never the case. It's factually incorrect. I looked at the amount of work that council puts in. You know better than anybody else the amount of work that gets involved with council,' Levi told Steinberg during the exchange. 'So, we thought it was perfectly acceptable for $38,000 for a councillor to have as their salary, which is very in line with other councillors throughout the city. I don't see why they would be required to pay it back.' As for the Dallas hotel stay, Levi said the conference took place at the Omni, and the rate was $480 U.S. a night. Levi then noted he looked into Steinberg's expense reimbursements during his mandate and found the former mayor claimed over $16,000 compared to $200 so far under his own term. Steinberg argued that Levi misrepresented his expenses by focusing only on reimbursements, some of which were purchases made on behalf of the town. Many of the allegations Steinberg has made against Levi and the rest of the council are found in his blog, where he also mentions a January 2024 report by the Commission municipale du Québec (CMQ) into the improper use of credit cards by municipal employees and 'inadequate control of the expenses incurred.' According to the former mayor, he obtained the financial information through numerous access to information requests. Levi has repeatedly defended Hampstead's director general, Richard Sun, claiming he did not engage in any wrongdoing and that the council has no grounds to suspect foul play or improper conduct. In a statement to CTV News, Levi's office said that several of the expenses cited in the blog post were incurred during the pandemic when traditional town-wide holiday gatherings were not feasible. 'Council instead authorized smaller, department-specific meals in local restaurants to recognize staff efforts—an approach aligned with the town's intent to maintain employee morale and support local businesses, in accordance with public health guidelines,' Hampstead spokesperson Sarah-Eve Longtin said. Additionally, she said that only a single adjustment of 29 per cent for a salary increase was approved in July 2022. In terms of the CMQ report, Longtin said the town has taken concrete action in response to the CMQ's recommendations, including the implementation of a strengthened policy framework governing the use of town credit cards. 'Internal procedures regarding expense approval, documentation, and accountability have been reinforced through revised protocols and staff training,' she added. Steinberg said that he plans on publishing a new blog post within the next few days. 'I have no plans to run. I want this council replaced by honest, ethical people who care about Hampstead,' he said.
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
SQ searching for Lac-Brome, Que., homicide suspect
Édouard Côté, 21, is wanted by Quebec provincial police in connection with a homicide. (Source: SQ) Quebec provincial police (SQ) are searching for a suspect in connection with a homicide in Lac-Brome last March. On March 2, the SQ was called about a vehicle on fire Moffat Road, about 100 kilometres southeast of Montreal. An unconscious person was inside the burned-out vehicle, which had been reported stolen. A murder investigation was then launched. Three suspects were identified, two of whom were arrested — a woman and a man in their 20s — and remain in custody. A third suspect, 21-year-old Édouard Côté from Sherbrooke, Que., is still at large. He is described as a white male with reddish-brown hair and brown eyes. He is five feet nine inches tall and weighs about 175 pounds. The SQ says he could be in the Montreal area or in the Eastern Townships. Anyone with information about Côté's whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the SQ at 1-800-659-4264.
