Jahzion HOLNESS-EDIE: Fraud & Organized Crime Other Than Government

(CAMBRIDGE, ON) – Police have made another arrest linked to a group that targeted victims across Canada.

On April 18, 2024, Project Sharp members, consisting of 11 Ontario and Quebec police services, announced the results of their 15-month-long investigation into individuals defrauding victims utilizing the ’emergency grandparent’ scam.

The targets were seniors with a landline telephone, who believed they were speaking with an officer or a lawyer claiming to have the victim’s grandchild or family member in custody. Bail money was requested for the family member’s release. In most instances, “money mules” (unsuspecting couriers) were used to collect large amounts of money from the victims. Victims felt emotional distress and fearful of the financial impact on their lives.

On October 9, 2024, members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Anti-Racket Unit and Criminal Investigation Branch, arrested and charged Jahzion HOLNESS-EDIE, 24-years-old of Waterloo, with the following Criminal Code offences:

• Criminal Organization – Participation, 476.11 (1)
• Criminal Organization – Commission of Offence for Criminal Organization, 467.12 (1)
• Fraud over $5000, 380 (1)

The accused has been released and is scheduled to appear in Ottawa Court of Justice on November 6, 2024.

Additional information is located within the Project Sharp media kit (opp.ca/news).

Project Sharp is an OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB)-led joint forces operation, involving the support of the Sûreté Du Québec, Halton Regional Police Service, York Regional Police, Toronto Police Service, Hamilton Police Service, Peel Regional Police, Durham Regional Police Service, Ottawa Police Service, Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal, Service de Police de Laval, and Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario. Additional assistance was provided by United States Homeland Security Investigations, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

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