Latest news with #Tkatch
Calgary Herald
08-07-2025
- Calgary Herald
Calgary businessman admits laundering $800,000 on behalf of drug trafficking organization
Calgary businessman Talal Fouani admitted Tuesday to laundering about $800,000 in cash in connection with a massive drug trafficking organization, more than two years after he pleaded guilty to the charge. Article content Crown prosecutor Shelley Tkatch read in a lengthy statement of agreed facts signed by Fouani, whose case has slowly wound through Calgary Court of Justice for more than three years. Article content Article content Article content And it won't be until fall that Fouani, 48, who is now self-represented, will face a sentencing hearing before Justice Greg Stirling. Article content Article content Stirling ordered a pre-sentence report be prepared by probation at the request of both Tkatch and Fouani and also asked that a psychological assessment be conducted by the Forensic Assessment Outpatient Service. Article content The judge said the latter will be helpful in determining Fouani's 'wellness associated with the death of (his) spouse.' Article content Fouani was badly injured and his wife, Nakita Baron, killed when a gunman ambushed them outside their southwest Calgary home on Aug. 18, 2022, just two months after he was charged in connection with a massive international drug bust. Article content Edmontonian Michael Tyrel Arnold was convicted by a Calgary jury in June of second-degree murder and attempted murder in the deadly attack. He has not yet been sentenced. Article content Article content Fouani pleaded guilty to money laundering on behalf of a criminal organization on March 17, 2023, but because of a dispute between the Crown and defence on the facts, plus multiple other defence applications, the details of his crime were not put before the court. Article content Tkatch told Stirling on Tuesday that she and Fouani were able to come to a consensus on a statement of agreed facts, negating the necessity of a scheduled three-day hearing next month over disputed details. Article content Instead, she read in a lengthy document detailing a Calgary ALERT organized crime team investigation into drug trafficking and importation, money laundering and a criminal organization. Article content The main targets of the investigation were Ricco King, Elias Ade, Kary-Lynn Grant, Jarret Mackenzie and Abdul Akbar, who were all charged in connection with a scheme in which more than 800 kg of methamphetamine and cocaine were seized by police, Tkatch said.
Calgary Herald
04-05-2025
- Calgary Herald
Money launderer Talal Fouani denies he attempted to flee country
Article content Calgary businessman Talal Fouani said Sunday he has not attempted to flee the country and is committed to resolving his criminal charge of laundering crime proceeds. Article content Article content In a text to Postmedia, Fouani said suggestions he tried to leave Canada two weeks ago are false and he wants to clear his name. Article content Crown prosecutor Shelley Tkatch was granted an application for a warrant for Fouani's arrest when he failed to attend a court appearance Friday. Tkatch also indicated she had unconfirmed information 'that he may have attempted to leave Canada two weeks ago.' Article content Article content Tkatch also told Justice Karim Jivraj that it was unusual for Fouani to miss a court date. Article content Article content 'Normally, Mr. Fouani has been very diligent showing up for this matter,' she said. Article content But Fouani said in his text to Postmedia it was simply an error on his part and he thought his next court date was in August, when he is scheduled to face a three-day sentencing hearing on the money laundering charge. Article content 'I want to clarify a serious misunderstanding regarding allegations that I have attempted to flee the country,' Fouani wrote. Article content 'I want to make it unequivocally clear that I have not, and do not have any intention of fleeing. And I would like to find out how this information came about. Article content 'Unfortunately, I missed a court date because I was under the mistaken impression that my next court date was Aug. 18. This was an honest mistake and not an attempt to avoid my obligations,' he said. Article content 'I am committed to resolving this matter and will ensure that I attend all future court dates as required.' Article content Article content Fouani has arranged to appear in court Monday morning. Tkatch confirmed the scheduled appearance and said the warrant will be deemed executed if Fouani attends. Article content Fouani has been free on bail since June 14, 2022, and in March 2023 pleaded guilty to laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. Article content Two months after he was charged he was the victim of a deadly ambush outside his southwest Calgary home. The attack took the life of his wife, Nakita Baron, and left Fouani badly wounded. Article content An Edmonton man, Michael Tyrel Arnold, was convicted in February of second-degree murder and attempted murder for the attack on Fouani. Article content The couple were ambushed as Fouani backed his older-model Bentley out of his driveway and Arnold, clad in a construction vest and walking a dog, signalled for him to roll down the window before firing two shots into the car. Article content Fouani is currently unrepresented after firing his first lawyer Yoav Niv, after Justice Greg Stirling, who is presiding over his sentencing, declined to have himself removed from the case over an apprehension of bias. Article content Defence counsel Greg Dunn came on the file and argued Fouani was the victim of an unconstitutional delay in the proceeding. After that was rejected, Dunn went off the record. Article content
