OPP officer charged after gaming house bust

[Thomas]

Dennis Hill, Ottawa OPP officer, charged after gaming house bust

Officer was previously charged with theft, resisting arrest in 2014

A 14-year member of the Ontario Provincial Police force has been charged after OPP busted an alleged illegal gaming house in Ottawa's Alta Vista neighbourhood on Friday night, and it's not the first time the officer has faced charges.

Ottawa OPP officer charged with resisting arrest, theft: http://www.oppblock.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=455&sid=9f4e4f7d4bea06886a32391dc7382cb8.

OPP executed a search warrant at around 10 p.m. Friday at a home on Snowdon Street, near Bank Street and Kilborn Avenue.

The search was the culmination of Project Rideau River, a weeks-long investigation into an organization keeping a common gaming house on the street, said OPP Sgt. Kristine Rae on Saturday.

A gaming house is somewhere people can place bets but that doesn't have permits for that kind of activity, Rae said.

Stephanie Haley, who lives across the street from the home, told CBC News Saturday that neighbours had noticed suspicious activity at the house.

'A lot of cars in the evenings'

"There was a lot of cars in the evenings," Haley said. "It's a bit unusual for this neighbourhood so we kind of wondered what was going on but didn't really know, didn't question it too much.

"We did think there was something suspicious going on there."

Kevin Gibson, who also lives on Snowdon St., said an unusual number of cars had been seen parking near the house for months.

"We weren't too sure what was going on," he said. "The people were very quiet ... [There were] no disturbances, so to speak. Sometimes, there would be so many cars on the street it would be hard to get by. But that's really all there was to it."


Drugs, cash seized from home

Marijuana, cocaine, oxycodone, hash, morphine and cash were seized from the home.

Eleven people were arrested and charged, including Ottawa OPP officer Dennis Hill, who was on leave from his duties at the time, said OPP spokesperson Sgt. Kristine Rae.

Hill was charged with one count of being found in a common gaming house and one count of possession of cocaine.

The 10 others are facing charges including keeping a common gaming house, possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, possession of controlled substances and being found in a common gaming house.

All 11 people charged were later released from custody on promises to appear in court in July.


Officer on leave also charged with theft in 2014

In July 2014, OPP charged Hill with theft under $5,000 and resisting arrest after a June 2014 incident at a Walmart in Carleton Place, Ont., southwest of Ottawa.

Hill was also on leave from the OPP when the 2014 charges were laid, Rae said.

The 2014 charges were laid after an investigation by the OPP's Professional Standards Bureau.

CBC News was not immediately able to verify the status of the 2014 charges on Saturday.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/de ... -1.3112388

[Thomas]

OTTAWA—A provincial police officer is facing charges along with 10 others after police say they raided an illegal gambling organization in an Ottawa residence.

Police allege that on Wednesday night, officers conducted a search warrant on an “organization keeping a common gaming house” (on Snowdon St.).

Police say they seized marijuana, cocaine, oxycodone, hash, morphine and an undisclosed amount of money.

Ontario Provincial Police Const. Dennis Hill, 38, a 14-year veteran who is currently on leave, has been charged with being found in a common gaming house and possession of cocaine.

The owner of the house, Darrin Cooper, 49, along with six other men and one woman from Ottawa, a man from Orleans, Ont., and another man from Gloucester, Ont., were all charged with various offences.

The charges range from either residing in or permitting a gaming house to operate, to various drug offences. All of the accused were released on a promise to appear in an Ottawa court next month.

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2015/ ... house.html

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/ ... a9ed2.html

http://www.pentictonherald.ca/news/nati ... 5c295.html

http://m.niagarathisweek.com/news-story ... g-offences

http://www.k-litefm.com/OntarioCP/Artic ... ?id=468587

http://www.1310news.com/2015/06/13/opp- ... fter-bust/

http://www.mississauga.com/news-story/5 ... -offences/

http://canadajournal.net/canada/ottawa- ... 7930-2015/

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/56760 ... se-police/

[Thomas]

OPP officer arrested again, faces drug and gambling-related charges

An Ottawa OPP officer has been arrested for the second time in 12 months and charged with cocaine possession and a gambling-related offence after being found in an illegal gaming house.

Const. Dennis Hill, a 14-year veteran, was arrested Thursday night when OPP organized crime investigators raided a home on Snowden Street in Alta Vista to break up a common gaming house.

Ten others also were charged. Officers seized marijuana, cocaine, oxycodone hash, morphine and cash.

Hill, 38, has been on leave from the force, the OPP said in a statement. Last June, his own police force arrested him while he was on medical leave for rehabilitation.

Police alleged he tried to steal electronics from his local Walmart in Carleton Place. When he was apprehended, police allege he resisted arrest. He was charged by Lanark County OPP with theft and resisting arrest. He also faced internal charges under the Police Services Act, which were to be dealt with after his criminal prosecution.

The status of those matters were not immediately available.

He is to appear in court in July to answer to the latest charges, along with the others arrested in the gaming house bust.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new ... ed-charges