Search warrant: Winnipeg couple used their 'stash' to hand out THC candy to children on Halloween
Search warrant: Winnipeg couple used their 'stash' to hand out THC candy to children on Halloween
New documents show what led to a couple handing out cannabis-infused gummies to children in Winnipeg - and what happened in the hours directly after.
Sheldon Chochinov (63) and Tammy Sigurdur (52) have both been charged with 26 offences under the Cannabis Act tied to their actions on Oct. 31, 2022, when the couple allegedly gave out THC candies to multiple children in South Tuxedo.
A Winnipeg Police Service search warrant application for the couple's home, dated a day later on Nov. 1, was issued in part because investigators were concerned the couple may try to destroy incriminating evidence.
Written by Const. Paul Babiak, the document also provides details on what Chochinov and Sigurdur did as soon as they found out they could face criminal charges.
The document states that Chochinov contacted criminal lawyer Richard Wolson after reading a WPS release warning residents of the reports of THC candy found in children's Halloween candy.
Wolson, in turn, got in touch with WPS investigators and informed officers about the nature and details of the call.
According to the document, Chochinov told Wolson that the entire incident was a "mistake" made when "under the influence." The two had run out of candy and decided to hand out their own personal "stash" of THC candy, adding he and his wife regretted their actions.
The candy in question consisted of Ziploc bags filled with medicated marijuana "Nerds" candy and seemingly name-brand candy bars.
More than a dozen families reported kids between six and 16 found edibles in their treat bags in packaging that resembled candy.
After hearing from Wolson, WPS investigators confirmed Chochinov and Sigurdur lived at a home on Coleraine Street.
"As both Chochniov and Sirgurdur are aware WPS is investigating this occurrence, I believe they may attempt to destroy evidence linking them to his occurrence," wrote Const. Babiak.
Seven boxes containing 15 packs of "Nerds" gummy clusters were seized at the residence, along with an Apple iPhone.
"There was an ample supply of normal non-THC infused candy at the ready and therefore the THC infused Nerds candy was not distributed as a result of a rushed last minute mistake but instead criminal negligence," states a grounds for seizure of property document.
Wolson and Chochinov’s defence lawyer Evan Roitenberg declined a request for further comment from CTV News.
Chochinov and Sigurder are facing 13 counts of causing bodily harm by criminal negligence, 13 counts of administering a noxious thing with intent to endanger life or cause bodily harm, 13 counts of distributing cannabis to a young person and 13 counts of distributing illicit cannabis.
None of the charges against Chochinov and Sigurdur have been proven in court and their respective trials are ongoing.
Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter -- the first time in American history that a current or former president has faced criminal charges.
Ottawa Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the residence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser, the second such incident involving one of his top aides in recent months.
This Sunday, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will announce the four astronauts that will be blasting off to fly around the moon for the Artemis II mission, one of whom will be a Canadian astronaut.
Gwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a 2016 ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort after a jury decided Thursday that the movie star wasn't at fault for the crash.
When two skiers collided on a beginner run at an upscale Utah ski resort in 2016, no one could foresee that seven years later, the crash would become the subject of a closely watched celebrity trial.
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
The Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry filed a charter challenge against the provincial government for stipulations in its disability program that require seniors to take their Canada Pension Plan (CPP) money out early.
A Mass Casualty Commission report that came out on Thursday following a mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020 may have a local impact on the RCMP Depot model being phased out.
Ninety-five deaths in Saskatchewan have been linked to COVID-19 since the start of the year as vaccination rates continue to lag. No influenza-related deaths were reported over the same period.
Students at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) are highlighting stories of Ukrainian youth killed in the Russian invasion who were in school working towards a diploma or degree.
Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter -- the first time in American history that a current or former president has faced criminal charges.
Several communities in northern Ontario are currently under a winter storm watch, with as much as 40 cm of snow expected between now and Saturday night.
After getting off to a slow start, business is booming at Edmonton's Manchester Square. The development in Queen Mary Park opened in March 2020, right as the pandemic began.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has yet to answer direct questions about a growing scandal of her alleged interference with the justice system, but her deputy premier has responded the media about the issue.
A 22-year accused of fatally stabbing a teenager at Keele Station over the weekend was released on a probation order just weeks earlier, tied to a sexual assault charge, court documents show.
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
Premier Doug Ford is slamming federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault as a “real piece of work” in the wake of public remarks he made suggesting that Ontario has “no plan to fight climate change.”
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
Three Calgary men face multiple charges after a police investigation that targeted drug traffickers resulted in the seizure of more than $250,000 in drugs, firearms and various rounds of ammunition, other weapons and drug paraphernalia.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has yet to answer direct questions about a growing scandal of her alleged interference with the justice system, but her deputy premier has responded the media about the issue.
Just a week after Airbnb tightened regulations for Quebec listings following a deadly fire, hosts may already be bending the rules. Airbnb now requires its hosts to provide a six-digit policy number with their listing, obtained when a tourist lodging is registered with the provincial government. But a scroll through the Airbnb website suggests users are falsifying their permit numbers to sneak past the authentication process.
Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter -- the first time in American history that a current or former president has faced criminal charges.
A proposed class-action lawsuit over infamous brainwashing experiments at a Montreal psychiatric hospital was before Quebec's highest court Thursday, as victims attempted to remove immunity granted to the United States government.
Ryan Reynolds spent the day in Ottawa as he continues his efforts to buy the Senators, meeting with officials from the city of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission and attending the Senators game.
Two classes at Roberta Bondar Public School in Ottawa's south end were closed on Thursday due to a lack of teachers, leaving parents and guardians scrambling to make accommodations for their children.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a brief initial response to the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) into Canada's worst mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. Vowing changes will come, here's what Trudeau said in Truro, N.S.
Gun policy comments made by then-RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki in a contentious call to Nova Scotia RCMP officers after the mass shooting in 2020 did not amount to political interference, the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) final report concludes.
Four of the Vancouver police officers involved in the violent 2015 arrest of Myles Gray – which ended with the 33-year-old dying in handcuffs – claim they were directed by their union not to keep notes about what happened, in violation of department policy.
Mounties are appealing to the public for information related to a mischief investigation involving a statue that was beheaded at a B.C. university earlier this week.
A 32-year-old man from Campbell River, B.C., has been sentenced to four years in prison for the beating death of a 59-year-old homeless man in October 2020.
The largest food bank service on southern Vancouver Island is reeling after a fire damaged part of its facility in Victoria, resulting in fresh and canned foods needing to be thrown out.
U.S. authorities on Thursday said they arrested a Washington state man who made more than 20 “swatting” calls around the country and in Canada, prompting real emergency responses to his fake reports of bombs, shootings or other threats.
