Police stakeout Reg & tap his phone

Unbeknowst to Reg, the RCMP had launched an investigation into his drug activities, and that of several other individuals, in 1996, called "Operation Lampoon"; this investigation went on for at least 9 months, prior to his arrest.

The RCMP and Charlottetown Police wiretapped Reg's house and kept records which were made available to him at his later trial.  During this period, Reg's family was becoming increasingly concerned with his obvious drug problems, but Reg was unwilling to accept advice or consider getting off drugs. What follows are some details on the investigation.

TIMELINE

1996-08-10 Police start to monitor Reg's activity. Following him around Charlottetown, noting his use of pay phones, visits to friends, etc.

1996-08-15 Several references to monitoring phone calls, and meetings with his friend. Several references to seeing Reg playing with his dog. Several references to trailing Reg, using unmarked cars and personal cars.

1996-08-16 Monitoring of Reg at his store, Days of Wine and Beer

1996-08-19 Police note call from suspected drug trafficker

1996-08-20 Observed Reg at his store, monitored his phone calls at pay phones

1996-08-27 Monitoring of Reg at Store, dinner at a restaurant, etc

1996-08-28 Police follow Reg as he goes to the gas station, new stores, etc

1996-08-29 Monitoring of call to known drug trafficker arranging to meet with Reg

1996-08-30 More monitoring. Police make several inaccurate notes in their document which are disputed by Reg. Reg followed around from place to place.

1996-09-04 through 09/12 Various references to monitoring phone calls, meeting with people, noting cars parked at different locations/residences, etc. No more notes until October.

1996-10-07 Reg goes to Nova Scotia. Police monitor calls to his cell phone and to his residence. No more notes until 10/17

1996-10-17 Monitored Reg as he drove around. Several obvious inaccuracies in transcript, which suggest that Reg was able to drive over 30 miles in 10 minutes, based on timing of the transcripts. Police monitored Reg at the house of his parents, and back to his house in Charlottetown.

1996-10-24 More monitoring of Reg driving around and meeting people.

1996-10-30 Monitoring starts at Reg's store, Days of Wine and Beer

1996-11-06 Monitoring of Reg driving around.

1996-11-07 Monitoring of phone calls to Reg's house

1996-11-08 Monitoring of phone calls from Reg's store, cell phone.

1996-11-11 Monitoring of phone calls. Reg indicates that he is flying out of Halifax. Police believe that he is flying to Montreal and contact local RCMP to surveil him, however, he is going to Iceland (on a very miserable trip, as he later writes).

1996-11-12 Police learn that he has gone to Iceland and arrange for surveillance in Iceland and upon his return to Canada. Reg calls home and says that he hasn't seen much of Iceland and that he is sick (he is going through heroin withdrawal)

1996-11-14 Reg returns to PEI from Iceland. Monitored Reg from his store in Summerside to his home.

1996-11-15 Reg calls me at my house in San Francisco. Police note that Reg gets my answering machine and leaves a message.

1996-11-16 Police actively monitoring Reg upon his return from Iceland

1996-11-17 Police record my call with Reg. We discuss Iceland, Hong Kong and Mexico and share email addresses which they record.

1996-11-18 Police monitor Reg's calls with friends.

1996-11-20/21/22/25 Police monitor uneventful calls to Reg's store, home and cell phone.

1996-11-28/29 Reg calls book-keeper re closing Summerside store and also calls travel agent re Mexico trip. More monitoring of calls ...

1996-11-28 Police transcipt provides verbatim conversation with friend of Reg. Reg notes that this is "6 pages of nonsense". I would tend to agree as it is filled with many references to "INAUDIBLE" and no damning statements.

1996-12-06/07 Reg in Halifax to see the Tragically Hip. He has seats by the stage.

1996-12-08 Police monitor calls

1996-12-09 Police stakeout Reg's store. Follow Reg as he walks around other stores and listen in on his conversations.

1996-12-10 Reg prepares to go to Nova Scotia to meet contacts. Police monitor his calls to people in PEI and NS, and also anyone using the phones at his store and his home. His sister in law refers to him being out of it and embarrassing her in front of customers.

1996-12-11 Reg in Halifax. Police monitoring calls. Discussion of eg presumably buying some pills. Reg returns on the 13th.

1996-12-13 Reg's calls monitored. Not stated, but it appears that Reg is arranging to get some Percocet, which is an opiate pill.

1996-12-16 Trip to Cabo confirmed and paid for.

1996-12-17/18 Police record Reg looking to buy some Tylenol (prescription ones) and on 12/19, he is hoping to buy some codeine, or trade Valium for Dilaudid. He also uses code references to his friends looking to buy heroin.

1996-12-20 Police not that Reg was up to 6 am. Reg writes a note on the transcript indicating that he was up all night doing coke. Reg is looking for drugs, using various code words, for example: favors = heroin.

1996-12-27/30 Various phone calls noted. Reg made notes on the transcript explaining that at times he was doing coke, buying dilaudid, or using it.

1997-01-16/17 Reggie calls someone to buy valium. Reg notes that this person took off with his money.

1997-01-31 Transcript resumes. Starts agan on 1997-02-02. Reg calls home and his mother is very upset with him, and wants him to stop his way of life.1997-02-04/05/06/07 Police monitor misc calls.

1997-02-09 Police record call in which Reg indicates that he has been on the couch for 2 days. Reg notes that this was due to withdrawal.

1997-02-11 Reg makes call looking for tylenol and sleeping pills. Police note that his voice is slurring.

1997-02-13 Police record Reggie looking for "D's" (Dilaudid).

1997-02-21 Police record Reggie looking for "Double Blues's", which Reggie notes are Fiorinal or Tecnal.

1997-02-24 Reggie is recorded talking to a dealer.

1997-03-11 Police record Reg arranging to meet with a drug buddy.

1997-03-17 Reg recorded looking for D's (Dilaudid).

1997-04-01 Reg recorded looking for Demorol ($3.50 each). Reg wants 25 or 30 ...

1997-04-03 Reg recorded saying Demorol had made him sick - hard on his stomach. Reg calls a woman he knows to bring him some Dilaudid.

1997-04-06 Reg's mother and wife discuss his pill problem, as noted by the police.

1997-04-07/08 Reg looks for a doctor who will write him a methadone prescription.

1997-04-10/11 Police record calls of no apparent relevance.

1997-04-19 Reg meets with well known dealer.

1997-04-23 Reg recorded looking for D's.

1997-04-25 Reg offered some D's and is interested in buying them.

1997-04-28/29 Reg recorded looking for drugs using codewords.

1997-04-30 Reg recorded talking to a friend and then says, "... sorry, a cop car ahead of me ...". Reg is picked up by the RCMP with 1/4 ounce of cocaine. Police record conversations between Reg's wife and mother seculating on the reason for the arrest. His wife notes, "Reg is too out of it to be upset and popped a whole bunch of pills because he thought he was going to Sleepy Hollow." She noted that he gets printed, photographed tomorrow. His wife notes that Reg is not giving up (i.e. turing in) a famous drug dealer becuase he'll end up with a bullet in his head. ... If Reggie turns [the dealer] in, he's as good as dead.

1997-05-01 Last recorded entries in the transcript.

Dog is Killed

January 29, 1997 - Reg's dog, Slash is killed. One of our uncles knew investigators in the Toronto Drug Squad, and they had told him that very often, they will kill the dog of suspected drug dealers before they do a raid, to avoid any problems with the animal during the raid.