Update: remanded – Man wanted in Brampton shooting arrested during drug raid in Kingston
Editorial note: Please see bottom of article for updated information.
A man from the Peel Region of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) was arrested last week after police executed a search warrant in the Rideau Heights neighbourhood.
According to Kingston Police, members of the Street Crime Unit and the Emergency Response Unit executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances search warrant at a residential dwelling in the area of Weller Avenue and Wilson Street on Friday, Jun. 23, 2023 (Update note: the warrant was actually executed on Thursday, Jun. 22, 2023). During that activity, officers “located the target of the investigation in the backyard area,” Kingston Police said in a press release on Tuesday, Jul. 4, 2023.
The “target,” 19-year-old Moshe Samuels, was arrested. Upon being searched, he was found to be in possession of “a large quantity of cocaine and tri-coloured fentanyl,” police said. Samuels was transported to Kingston Police Headquarters, where he was held pending a bail hearing “due to the current charges and an active warrant for attempted murder with Peel Regional Police Service.”
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, the Peel Regional Police issued a press release notifying the public that Samuels was wanted in connection with a shooting that occurred in Brampton on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. The sole male who was shot in that incident “attended a local hospital where he received life-saving medical treatment for his injuries,” Peel Regional Police said at the time. Samuels was wanted on the charge of attempted murder.
According to Kingston Police, the street value of the drugs seized upon Samuels’ arrest here in Kingston is estimated to be over $60,000.
Samuels was charged by Kingston Police with two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of proceeds obtained by crime.
According to Kingstonist records, the execution of the warrant in the area of Weller Avenue and Wilson Street took place on Thursday, Jun. 22, 2023. Kingstonist has inquired with Kingston Police about this discrepancy, as well as whether Samuels was transferred into the custody of Peel Regional Police. This article will be updated if/when more information becomes available.
Update (Wednesday, Jul. 5, 2023):
After a review of differing timelines of the above events on the part of both Kingstonist and Kingston Police, police have confirmed that Samuels was arrested on June 22, not on June 23, as they had previously reported.
In terms of what has happened since Samuels’ arrest, Kingston Police say he was remanded into custody on the charges laid against him here in Kingston. Kingston Police directed further inquiries to the Peel Regional Police.
According to the Peel Regional Police Service, it was Kingston Police who notified the Peel Police Service of Samuels’ arrest on charges unrelated to the attempted murder charge he was already wanted on.
“He is being held until his first Appearance date of Monday, July 10, 2023. Peel Regional Police will be notified if and when Samuels is granted bail, at which time we will arrange for his transfer to The Region of Peel to face the pending Attempt Murder charges in our region,” Constable Sarah Patten, Media Relations Officer with Peel Regional Police, said in an email to Kingstonist.
This article was originally pubished on Tuesday, Jul. 4, 2023.