Police tape marks a crime scene in this file photo.JOHN LEHMANN
A Hamilton police officer is facing charges in connection with a large-scale gang raid led by Toronto Police.
Detective Constable Craig Ruthowsky, 41, was arrested Thursday morning as part of Project Pharaoh, an investigation into Toronto gangs. Officers executed more than 40 search warrants, arresting 32 people and seizing approximately 33 kilograms of cocaine, nearly $200,000 in cash and 14 firearms. Det. Constable Ruthowsky is facing four charges, including conspiracy to traffic cocaine, participating in the criminal activities of a gang, and breach of trust.
The investigation started in September, 2014, and originally focused on the Monstarz, a gang that operates mostly in Toronto's Rexdale neighbourhood, in the northwest corner of the city.
Later, the investigation expanded to include other organized criminal groups connected to the Monstarz in the Hamilton area, one of which Det. Constable Ruthowsky is alleged to have been a part of, according to Toronto Police Inspector Bryan Bott.
None of the allegations have been proved in court.
Det. Constable Ruthowsky has been suspended with pay since 2012, due to a separate and unrelated investigation.
At the time he was alleged to have falsified search warrant information, lied to court officials and failed to account for money or property obtained through a police investigation, the Hamilton Spectator reported. The Crown eventually stayed those charges, according to lawyer Gary Clewley, who represented Det. Constable Ruthowsky. Mr. Clewley added he is not representing the officer on the new charges.
"He hasn't contacted me.… I'm only hearing about it from folks in the media," Mr. Clewley said.
Charges were also dropped in 50 other cases that Det. Constable Ruthowsky and another officer were a part of, due to the likelihood the officers' credibility would be challenged, the Spectator report said.
As Det. Constable Ruthowsky was also charged under the Police Act, the matter from 2012 is still in front of a Hamilton Police tribunal. If the new allegations also lead to Police Act charges, another tribunal is possible, according to Hamilton police spokeswoman Catherine Martin.
Corbin Cawkell, a defence lawyer who represented one of the clients who was charged by Det. Constable Ruthowsky and later had charges dropped, said this is the first time he's heard of a case in which a police officer is charged with participating in gang activity.
"In terms of Toronto street gangs, this would be the first time any officer as far as I know has ever been involved with that kind of organization," Mr. Cawkell said.
Apart from keeping Hamilton police out of the investigation into Det. Constable Ruthowsky, Insp. Bott said nothing was handled differently because of Det. Constable Ruthowsky's alleged involvement.
"I think we all get a little disappointed that one of our brothers gets involved in an investigation like this," he said, "but we don't treat him differently than any other person."
Editor's note. The headline on the an earlier version of this story incorrectly called the police investigation Project Pharoah. It has been corrected.