Police stakeout Reg & tap his phone

Unbeknownst 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. 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.

The RCMP and Charlottetown Police wiretapped Reg’s house and kept extensive records which were made available to him at his later trial – a summary of their comments and also some additional information and commentary by Reggie and myself, is presented. 

Timeline

1996

Aug 10	Police begin to monitor Reg’s activity, following him around Charlottetown and noting his use of pay phones, visits to friends, etc.
Aug 15	Several references to monitoring phone calls and meetings with his friend. Several references to seeing Reg playing with his dog. Police trail Reg using unmarked and personal vehicles.
Aug 16	Monitoring of Reg at his store, Days of Wine and Beer.
Aug 19	Police note a call from a suspected drug trafficker.
Aug 20	Reg is observed at his store and his calls from pay phones are monitored.
Aug 27	Monitoring of Reg at his store, at dinner in a restaurant, and elsewhere.
Aug 28	Police follow Reg as he goes to a gas station, stores, and other locations.
Aug 29	Police monitor a call to a known drug trafficker arranging to meet with Reg.
Aug 30	More monitoring. Police make several notes in their document that Reg disputes as inaccurate. Reg is followed from place to place.
Sep 4–12	Various references to monitoring phone calls and meetings with people, and noting cars parked at different locations and residences. No further notes until October.
Oct 7	Reg goes to Nova Scotia. Police monitor calls to his cell phone and residence. No further notes until October 17.
Oct 17	Police monitor Reg as he drives around. There are several apparent inaccuracies in the transcript; based on the recorded times, Reg would have had to travel more than 30 miles in 10 minutes. Police monitor Reg at his parents’ house and then back to his home in Charlottetown.
Oct 24	More monitoring of Reg driving around and meeting people.
Oct 30	Monitoring begins at Reg’s store, Days of Wine and Beer.
Nov 6	Police monitor Reg driving around.
Nov 7	Police monitor phone calls to Reg’s house.
Nov 8	Police monitor calls from Reg’s store and cell phone.
Nov 11	Reg indicates that he is flying out of Halifax. Police believe he is flying to Montreal and contact the local RCMP to arrange surveillance. He is actually going to Iceland — a trip he later describes as very miserable.
Nov 12	Police learn that Reg has gone to Iceland and arrange for surveillance in Iceland and upon his return to Canada. Reg calls home and says he hasn’t seen much of Iceland and is sick. He is going through heroin withdrawal.
Nov 14	Reg returns to PEI from Iceland. Police monitor him from his store in Summerside to his home.
Nov 15	Reg calls me at my house in San Francisco. Police note that he reaches my answering machine and leaves a message.
Nov 16	Police actively monitor Reg following his return from Iceland.
Nov 17	Police record my call with Reg. We discuss Iceland, Hong Kong and Mexico and exchange email addresses, which are recorded in the transcript.
Nov 18	Police monitor Reg’s calls with friends.
Nov 20–25	Police monitor apparently uneventful calls to Reg’s store, home and cell phone.
Nov 28–29	Reg calls his bookkeeper regarding the closing of the Summerside store and also calls a travel agent regarding a trip to Mexico. More calls are monitored.
Nov 28	The police transcript provides a verbatim conversation with a friend of Reg. Reg later describes this as “6 pages of nonsense.” The transcript contains numerous references to “INAUDIBLE” and no apparent incriminating statements.
Dec 6–7	Reg is in Halifax to see The Tragically Hip. He has seats by the stage.
Dec 8	Police monitor calls.
Dec 9	Police conduct surveillance at Reg’s store, follow him as he walks around other stores, and listen to his conversations.
Dec 10	Reg prepares to go to Nova Scotia to meet contacts. Police monitor his calls to people in PEI and Nova Scotia, as well as calls involving phones at his store and home. His sister-in-law refers to him being “out of it” and embarrassing her in front of customers.
Dec 11	Reg is in Halifax. Police monitor calls, including a discussion apparently concerning the purchase of pills. Reg returns on December 13.
Dec 13	Reg’s calls are monitored. Although not stated explicitly, it appears Reg is arranging to obtain Percocet, an opioid medication.
Dec 16	Trip to Cabo confirmed and paid for.
Dec 17–19	Police record Reg looking to buy prescription Tylenol. On December 19, he is hoping to buy codeine or trade Valium for Dilaudid. He also uses coded references when speaking with friends about obtaining heroin.
Dec 20	Police note that Reg was up until 6 a.m. Reg writes a note on the transcript indicating that he had been up all night doing cocaine. Reg is looking for drugs and using various code words; for example, he notes that “favors” refers to heroin.
Dec 27–30	Various phone calls are noted. Reg made notes on the transcript explaining that at times he was using cocaine, buying Dilaudid, or using it.

1997

Jan 16–17	Reggie calls someone to buy Valium. Reg notes that this person took off with his money.
Jan 29	Reg’s dog, Slash, is killed – note – this was not recorded in the police transcript, but it was a significant event in this period. One of our uncles knew investigators in the Toronto Drug Squad, and they had told him that very often they would kill the dog of a suspected drug dealer before conducting a raid, to avoid problems with the animal during the raid.
Jan 31–Feb 7	The police transcript resumes January 31 and again on February 2. Reg calls home and his mother is very upset with him and wants him to stop his way of life. Police monitor miscellaneous calls from February 4 through February 7.
Feb 9	Police record a call in which Reg indicates that he has been on the couch for two days. Reg notes that this was due to withdrawal.
Feb 11	Reg makes a call looking for Tylenol and sleeping pills. Police note that his voice is slurred.
Feb 13	Police record Reggie looking for “D’s” (Dilaudid).
Feb 21	Police record Reggie looking for “Double Blues,” which Reggie notes are Fiorinal or Tecnal.
Feb 24	Reggie is recorded talking to a dealer.
Mar 11	Police record Reg arranging to meet with a drug buddy.
Mar 17	Reg is recorded looking for D’s (Dilaudid).
Apr 1	Reg is recorded looking for Demerol ($3.50 each). Reg wants 25 or 30.
Apr 3	Reg is recorded saying Demerol had made him sick and was hard on his stomach. Reg calls a woman he knows to bring him some Dilaudid.
Apr 6	Reg’s mother and wife discuss his pill problem, as noted by police.
Apr 7–8	Reg looks for a doctor who will write him a methadone prescription.
Apr 10–11	Police record calls of no apparent relevance.
Apr 19	Reg meets with a well-known dealer.
Apr 23	Reg is recorded looking for D’s.
Apr 25	Reg is offered some D’s and is interested in buying them.
Apr 28–29	Reg is recorded looking for drugs using code words.
Apr 30	Reg is 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 speculating about the reason for the arrest. His wife notes that “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 notes that he is to be printed and photographed the following day. His wife also says Reg will not give up — or identify — a well-known drug dealer because he could “end up with a bullet in his head,” adding that if Reggie turns the dealer in, “he’s as good as dead.”
May 1	Last recorded entries in the transcript.