Court docs show RCMP eyeing unidentified outside leadership group in Coutts border blockade
Newly released court documents show the Alberta RCMP are still investigating multiple people in connection to the Coutts border blockade, including a suspected group of leaders issuing orders from elsewhere.
According to the unsealed documents, the RCMP believes the four men accused of plotting to kill Mounties at the Coutts border blockade – Anthony Olienick, Chris Lysak, Jerry Morin and Chris Carbert – were being given orders by an outside leadership group.
The names of the people in that group have been redacted from the report as they are part of an active investigation.
The newly released records involve transcriptions of phone calls between Olienick, Lysak, Morin and Carbert, and the unidentified leadership group.
The documents state the leadership wanted more than just vaccine mandates lifted, but also the "elimination of the professional political class."
It also alleges Olienick, Lysak, Morin and Carbert trained for months and stockpiled firearms at Olienick's property near Claresholm, Alta., while taking orders from the unidentified group.
Anthony Olienick, Chris Lysak, Jerry Morin and Chris Carbert have a trial set for June 2023.
The documents reveal that in February, Mounties seized more than 36,000 rounds of ammunition, two pipe bombs, gas masks, camouflage and tactical gear from the property.
Other intercepted calls from the four men's cellphones refer to more potential weapons coming from a second stockpile in Nanton, Alta.
They also point toward a growing tension between those protesting in Coutts and the leadership group due to lack of representation at the blockade.
In February, Olienick, Lysak, Morin, Carbert and nine others were arrested after RCMP uncovered a cache of weapons in Coutts.
Olienick is also charged with making and possessing an explosive device while Lysak faces a charge of uttering threats.
Once remanded, phone records show the four men contacted the bosses either directly or, allegedly, through family members, according to police.
All four men have a trial set for June 2023 while the investigation into the suspected leadership team is still ongoing.
These portions of the police documents are being unsealed after a legal challenge by a group of news organizations including CTV News.
None of the details alleged in the released documents have been tested in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
The Indian couple killed in a wrong-way police chase crash on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.