Man pleads guilty in arson extortion case targeting Edmonton homebuilders
Manav Heer, wearing an orange jumpsuit, pleaded guilty to extortion, conspiring to commit extortion, attempting to cause fire to property and using an imitation firearm during an offence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Calgary Herald
Man admits to torching $10 million in properties as part of extortion arsons targeting Edmonton South Asian homebuilders
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. According to the agreed facts, Heer recruited drivers to transport "arson teams" to properties selected in advance, which were then torched with gasoline. Edmonton police on July 26, 2024, announced charges against six people, including alleged ringleader Maninder Dhaliwal, accused of using arson and shootings to extort money from South Asian homebuilders. Manav Heer, 20, pleaded guilty to participating in the scheme during a court hearing on Aug. 1, 2025. Photo by Lauren Boothby / Postmedia A man who took part in an international conspiracy to terrorize homebuilders in Edmonton's South Asian community has admitted to a raft of crimes, the second plead out in the case known as Project Gaslight. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Manav Heer, 20, pleaded guilty in the Court of King's Bench Friday to extortion, arson, conspiracy and using an imitation firearm as part of a criminal syndicate to extort money from around a dozen residential developers and their companies. Heer admitted to participating in arsons that damaged or destroyed a dozen homes worth around $10 million. He sat in the prisoner's box Friday wearing orange and black remand coveralls and did not react as prosecutor Breena Smith read in a 33-page agreed statement of facts detailing his crimes. Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again The Crown says the mastermind of the conspiracy, Maninder Singh Dhaliwal, left Edmonton for India on July 31, 2023, and directed the arsons from the United Arab Emirates, where officials have sought an extradition order. One of the victims was told the threats were linked to Brothers Keepers, the notorious gang founded in British Columbia. Smith said the scheme was part of a 'large Indo-Canadian criminal organization.' Heer, who was 19 at the time of his arrest, was one of five adults and a youth charged with carrying out the plots. He said the group usually began by identifying a seemingly wealthy homebuilder in the South Asian community, who received WhatsApp calls demanding payments as high as $1 million. They were told their homes would be torched and they would be shot if they didn't comply. At least two builders suffered drive-by shootings at their family homes. Heer played a mid-level role in the scheme. According to the agreed facts, Heer recruited drivers to transport 'arson teams' to properties selected in advance, which were then torched with gasoline. He was part of teams that lit two fires at construction projects owned by Victory Homes, as well as a third attempted arson targeting the builder. He also fired an airsoft gun at a security guard keeping watch in a vehicle outside one of the builder's properties, after a co-accused smashed the car's window with a hammer. Heer also confessed to setting fire to a pair of properties owned by Berry Homes Ltd., which spread to two other homes, including a property occupied by a family with three kids. Also targeted were Active Homes and Gill Built Homes. Heer was arrested outside the latter's multimillion-dollar Gill Villa apartment project on Jan. 29, 2024, after police observed Heer and his crew buying a jerry can and filling it with gasoline. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The group communicated about the crimes in group chats, including one labelled with fire emojis, which was ultimately renamed 'Not Criminals.' Dhaliwal allegedly paid around $1,500 to $2,000 for an arson. The Edmonton police Project Gaslight probe involved thousands of hours of investigation across multiple agencies, including obtaining court orders to intercept hundreds of calls to and from the remand centre, as well as a multi-month wiretap. Police also held multiple town halls to gain trust in the South Asian community (court heard one of the builders temporarily stopped speaking with police, fearing retribution, after a drive-by shooter shot his house moments after a security guard he hired left to check on another property). One of Heer's co-accused, Divnoor Asht, pleaded guilty in May to arson and extortion and received 4-1/2 years in prison. Heer also admitted to a separate count of dangerous driving for a crash that permanently altered the life of a seven-year-old child. In November 2023, while he was participating in the arson scheme, Heer slammed his dad's BMW into a motorist who was turning left at James Mowatt Trail and 17 Avenue SW in Edmonton. Heer's vehicle was travelling 160 km/h in a 60 km/h zone seconds before the collision. The child was rushed to hospital and treated for a traumatic brain injury as well as other injuries. According to an agreed statement of facts, he cannot walk, has lost his vision and hearing and will likely require care for the rest of his life. Heer is next in court Sept. 19 to set a date for sentencing in both cases. Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun
Global News
4 days ago
- Global News
Project Gaslight extortion arsonist pleads guilty to torching Edmonton homes
The years-long Project Gaslight investigation into extortions and arsons in and around Edmonton is now moving through the legal system. One of the accused, Manav Heer, pleaded guilty in an Edmonton courtroom Friday afternoon to four charges related to the Edmonton Police Service's investigation into crimes targeting South Asian community members. Heer pleaded guilty to extortion, arson, conspiring to commit extortion and arson, and using an imitation firearm. From shootings to new or under-construction homes being torched, police investigated dozens of crimes in the Edmonton region between October 2023 and January of this year that investigators said were extortions by members of the South Asian community against their own people — in particular, home builders and affluent community members. Story continues below advertisement The extortion scheme saw successful South Asian business people threatened for money in exchange for 'protection' and officials said failure to pay out led to arsons — primarily at under-construction homes — and drive-by shootings. The result? Tens of millions of dollars in damage and widespread fear in the community. In total, police investigated 40 crimes related to the extortion series. Heer was arrested, along with five other people, on July 25, 2024. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy At the same time, a Canada-wide warrant was issued for another man: Maninder Singh Dhaliwal, who was believed to be the ringleader of the criminal organization responsible for the series of Project Gaslight extortions. View image in full screen Edmonton police chief Dale McFee speaks about arrests made in Project Gaslight Friday, July 26, 2024. Dave Carels / Global News Dhaliwal was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on separate criminal charges near the end of 2024, and is still incarcerated in the Middle Eastern nation as Canada works to negotiate an extradition — a process complicated by the lack of a treaty to do so between Canada and the UAE. Story continues below advertisement In the meantime, the criminal cases against the other people involved in the crime spree are moving ahead. According to an agreed statement of facts, Heer committed multiple home arsons but not all that were investigated. The fires targeted different companies and the statement said Heer also sent text messages talking about arson and helped identify target properties. It also said Heer shot the back window of a security guard's vehicle with an airsoft gun. The Crown said Heer was involved in arsons totaling around $10 million in damages. No sentencing date has been set. His next court date will be in September, following an assessment. 1:49 Edmonton's south Asian community 'doesn't feel safe' amid new threats Crimes similar to what occurred two years ago have started up again in Edmonton, police said a few weeks ago when announcing a town hall (held this week) for those who are being threatened. Story continues below advertisement For every crime they know about, police suspect there are many others in which victims stay silent — fearful to come forward to police either because they're afraid for their personal safety, or they come from a region where police are not trustworthy. Because of that, officers in Edmonton are working to strengthen relations and build trust with the South Asian community. Edmonton police reminded residents they can report tips anonymously to a third party: Crime Stoppers. The EPS also has a dedicated email (projectgaslight@ and phone number (780-391-4279) for South Asian community members who are being targeted.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Man pleads guilty in arson extortion case targeting Edmonton homebuilders
EDMONTON – A man admitted in court Friday to being part of an arson extortion syndicate targeting South Asian homebuilders in Edmonton. Manav Heer, wearing an orange jumpsuit, pleaded guilty to extortion, conspiring to commit extortion, attempting to cause fire to property and using an imitation firearm during an offence. He also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving for causing a crash that left a child with a severe brain injury. An agreed statement of facts read in court says Heer, while involved with the Brothers Keepers gang and its arson scheme, crashed his father's BMW into another vehicle carrying a woman and her seven-year-old son in 2023. Court heard the boy has lost his vision, will most likely lose his hearing and could need a caretaker for the rest of his life. Crown prosecutor Breena Smith told court the homebuilders were targeted between October 2023 to January 2024. She said Edmonton police, as part of an investigation dubbed Project Gaslight, investigated 40 arsons, extortions and a shooting, some involving Heer. The extortions included demands for large sums of money from the homebuilders, Smith said. There were threats to burn down homes and to shoot and kill their relatives. Sometimes multiple homes were burned in one night, she said, and photos and videos of destroyed homes were sent to the builders. In some cases, shots were also fired into the homes the builders lived in with their families. In July 2024, Heer and five others, including a youth, were arrested and charged. Charges against one accused have since been stayed. And another earlier pleaded guilty. A sentencing date for Heer is to be set at a later date. Smith said the alleged leader of the syndicate, Maninder Singh Dhaliwal, is accused of orchestrating the scheme from the United Arab Emirates. There is a request to extradite him to Canada to face charges. Dhaliwal called himself 'Batman,' Smith told court, and it is believed he was often the one who called the victims demanding money. Smith said hundreds of officers worked on Project Gaslight. They intercepted phone calls, seized phones and sifted through countless conversations between gang members on various messaging platforms. In one conversation, members 'discussed hiring more people, creating larger arson teams, obtaining firearms, identifying additional extortion targets in the South Asian homebuilder community,' Smith told court. In the days leading up to his arrest, Heer expressed frustration over the pay being reduced for some gang members to $1,500 per arson from $2,000, said the prosecutor. She said the conversations — some with fire emojis — showed Heer helped identify homes to target and recruited drivers to assist the arsonists. 'The total property damage for the arsons in which (Heer) was involved in was approximately $10 million,' Smith said. Court heard Heer was paid $10,000. Some of the homebuilders fled Alberta, Smith said. One bought an armoured vehicle and hired 24-7 security. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025.
