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For nearly two weeks, a beige home on the corner of a snowy street in London, Ont.’s quiet Medway neighbourhood has been the epicentre of a bizarre police investigation that has spread from the local university campus to Ottawa, Quebec and the RCMP’s national security unit.
The investigation began with a late-night trespassing accusation from Western University grounds and led to police discovering what they described as hazardous chemicals that could be made into explosives. A slew of charges against four people ensued.
Here’s more of what to know about the case.
How did this all start?
Officers with the London Police Service (LPS) said they were called to Western’s campus around 1:40 a.m. ET on Jan. 24 to assist campus police with a trespasser who was taken into custody. Officers arrested a man who tried to run away and seized a loaded handgun, according to the service.
Police later learned a second man had been involved. A statement said a further investigation led officers to 212 Chesham Place, where police took two more people into custody after finding the chemicals.
Previously, Sean Travis, the LPS’s acting detective superintendent, told reporters at the scene that observations made in the home caused “concern about chemicals that could be used to create explosive devices, not that devices were located.”
Who are the suspects?
Last week, the LPS announced a total of over two dozen charges against:
- Jerry Tong, 27.
- Zekun Wang, 26.
- Fei (Frank) Han, 25.
- Feiyang (Astrid) Ji, 21.
They are all current or former students at Western University. The three men have various engineering degrees; Ji, the only woman charged, was set to graduate next year.
Wang, Han and Ji all live at the Chesham Place address, according to court records. On Friday, a news briefing led by London police Deputy Chief Paul Bastien was told Tong is “heavily associated to the Chesham Place address,” but no other information was provided.
You can read more about the four accused here.
Four current and former students of Western University are facing charges for allegedly storing chemicals and manufacturing firearms in a home. Police in London, Ont., say their investigation isn’t about terrorism or threats to national security.
What were they doing?
The three men were developing an anti-drone weapon system they hoped to pitch to investors, CBC News learned this week.
In a video posted to YouTube three months ago, Tong, Wang and Han explained they were in the process of designing a military system meant to prevent drone attacks and looking for funding.
“We’re taking on the challenge of stopping weaponized drones,” said Tong in the video titled MORSLAB Pitch Presentation. “MORSLAB is in the right place at the right time, and we hope you can join us.”
Tong goes on to say that the team runs a garage CNC mill and has its own “chemical lab on site.” The video also includes clips of Wang working on the system in the bed of a pickup truck that CBC News has verified was parked at 212 Chesham Place.
Ji does not appear anywhere in the video.
Three Ontario men accused of storing materials that could be made into bombs were developing an anti-drone weapon system they hoped to pitch to investors, CBC News has learned.
Developing anti-drone weapons at home? What?
Two experts who spoke with CBC News said it’s not totally unusual for newly graduated engineers to start working from their homes or garages, but there are aspects of the group’s work they found concerning.
“If you want to save money, you start small and validate the idea, and as soon as you get a product market fit or you gain traction with customers, you move into a facility,” said Parth Mahendru, co-founder and CEO of Toronto-based Prandtl Dynamics, which also creates drone defence technology.
“Having said that, it is definitely not usual for you to keep firearms or chemicals in your garage.”
Who’s investigating?
The RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET), staffed by officers who specialize in matters of national security, is providing “investigative support and assistance” to local police.
Notably, there’s no evidence this is a case of terrorism or a threat to national security, LPS investigators confirmed Friday at their morning news conference.
What have they found?
Travis said Friday that “several” firearms and chemicals were found as a result of the search warrants involving three houses — including the Chesham Place home. He wouldn’t specify what exactly was found.
After the news briefing, police said in a release that they conducted a “safe and controlled disposal of the explosives in the northeast end of the city” last weekend.
What are the charges?
Prosecutors swore a combined 28 charges against the four accused after searching the home on Chesham, as well as locations in Ottawa and Gatineau, Que. The charges carry a wide range of maximum possible penalties, varying depending on the circumstances and particulars of the offence — details we don’t yet have. You can see a detailed list of all the charges here.
Break and enter with intent, for example, is punishable by up to life in prison if the target was a residential home. Manufacturing a prohibited firearm could lead to a 14-year sentence.
Resisting arrest, meanwhile, is a more minor offence punishable by a fine or a maximum of two years in prison.
Bastien, the LPS’s deputy chief, also confirmed the “specific charges in relation to the manufacturing of firearms is not related to the device that was described in the video.”
The investigation is ongoing.
An RCMP unit specializing in national security issues is supporting police in London, Ont., investigating four people facing a series of charges including manufacturing firearms and possessing explosives.