Project Decrypt leads to arrest of RM of Springfield man

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This article was published 07/12/2023 (563 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 39-year-old RM of Springfield man is facing numerous charges after police say he was involved in high-level drug trafficking rings.

RCMP said on Tuesday that James Robert McGirr was arrested after RCMP Federal, Serious and Organized Crime investigators uncovered his illicit drug operations and money laundering crimes.

The arrests actually stemmed from Project Divergent, which saw 22 people arrested for drug trafficking offences.

That led to Project Decrypt which began in April 2021.

“As the investigation progressed, investigators learned that McGirr has fraudulently acquired a Health Canada licence for a micro-grow operation,” police said in a Tuesday press release. “In addition he was using legitimate Health Canada medical licences under the names of his associates to feed his criminal networks with the cannabis he was growing.”

Further investigation found the he was laundering his profits by converting cash to cryptocurrency and helping others to do the same.

Ten properties associated to McGirr were searched on June 8, in the RM of Springfield, Sunnyside, Navin and Winnipeg. Another property in Winnipeg was searched in August.

RCMP say the searches resulted in more than $6 million in drugs, equipment and proceeds of crime.

“More than $3 million in property, more than $2 million in illicit cannabis, almost $700,000 in drug and cryptocurrency equipment, more than $203,000 in lifestyle items, more than $15,000 in Canadian currency and seven firearms were seized during the searches,” they said.

McGirr was arrested at his RM of Springfield residence when the search was executed.

Five of his associates were also charged including Jordan Fletcher, 33 of Ste Anne who police say acted as a courier in the operation and is charged under the Cannabis Act.

McGirr is facing five Cannabis Act charges and five Criminal Code charges including fraud over $5,000, identity fraud, possession of property obtained by crime, laundering proceeds of crime and false pretenses.

RCMP Intelligence Officer Insp. Joe Telus said they are not targeting legal users of cannabis.

“These large-scale operations are producing illicit product and feeding criminal networks, and the RCMP will continue to work tirelessly to disrupt those networks,” he said.

All of those charged have been released from custody pending court dates.