Drug and weapons charges in Sarnia

An investigation into a retail theft has resulted in illegal drug and handgun charges in Sarnia.

A local retailer filed a theft complaint with Sarnia police, leading them to search two residences in central Sarnia around 7:30 a.m. Friday. A residence was searched on Elgin Street, the other on Durand Street.

The Community Crime Unit has identified two suspects they believe are responsible for a string of high-value product thefts.

Police recovered stolen property and other evidence related to the offense during the execution of a search warrant.

As a result, a 50-year-old Sarnia man was charged with two counts of theft under $5,000 and was arrested and released for an upcoming court date.

Additionally, David Larocque, a 40-year-old man from Sarnia, was charged with three counts of theft under $5,000. He is currently wanted by Sarnia police.

Anyone with information regarding Larocque's whereabouts is asked to contact Sarnia police.

Police said while searching the Durand Street residence, officers discovered an attacker who, at the time, was on the loose for drug trafficking offenses in Niagara.

Those bail conditions included being required to be at his residence in St. Catherines from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and not possessing any firearms.

Police said he attempted to foil the police investigation by providing a false name; however, investigators discovered his true identity.

The suspect was in possession of a loaded .40 caliber Glock 23 handgun, $15,120 in cash, 4 grams of fentanyl, 23 grams of methamphetamine and 4 grams of cocaine.

The 27-year-old man was held on bail on several charges, including:

• Violation of release order x5
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking-cocaine
• Possession of a prohibited/restricted firearm
• Unauthorized possession of a prohibited/restricted firearm
• Possession of a prohibited/restricted firearm contrary to a prohibition order x2
• Possession of a restricted/prohibited firearm with ammunition
• Possession of a prohibited device (magazine with a capacity of 13 cartridges)
• Negligent storage of a prohibited/restricted firearm

“Criminal activity transcends not only municipal boundaries, but also crime categories. In this case, students from our Community Crime Unit (CCU) were investigating a shoplifting case. This case quickly resulted in search warrants, and those warrants resulted in the seizure of drugs, cash and another illegal firearm. Our officers, our CCU team and our continued investments in crime analysis continue to reflect the fact that so-called “minor” crimes are increasingly linked to serious criminal activity within our community,” said the chief of the Sarnia Police Service, Derek Davis.