Four individuals implicated in a London, Ont., investigation involving the manufacturing of explosives and firearms now confront 19 additional charges, as per court records submitted on Tuesday. Jerry Tong, Zekun (Alex) Wang, Fei (Frank) Han, and Feiyang (Astrid) Ji were formally charged in January. The quartet, primarily students or recent graduates of Western University, with the male trio having backgrounds in the engineering field. The updated charges presented to the Ontario Court of Justice bring the total to 31 distinct counts, encompassing joint charges against all four and specific accusations against individual defendants.
Among the new charges are the possession of five distinct explosive materials, possession of stolen property, and unauthorized access to computer data related to firearm production. The investigation, which originated on Jan. 24 following an incident at Western University involving two individuals, led to the arrest and subsequent search of a residence in the University Heights neighborhood where the accused were apprehended.
Extensive investigations were conducted at the residence in London, as well as at two other locations in Orléans and Gatineau. Initially facing multiple firearms charges, including the creation of a handgun and possession of a loaded restricted handgun, Tong, Wang, and Ji now encounter additional charges such as the possession of firearm accessories and another prohibited firearm. Furthermore, Tong faces charges linked to events in other cities, including the storage of rifles and the manufacturing of a prohibited firearm in different locations.
The accused also confront new charges related to activities preceding their arrests, with Wang accused of weapon manufacturing and the pair charged with a break-in at Western University. Court documents reveal a new set of charges against Tong, Wang, Han, and Ji for the possession of explosive substances, including pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrophenol (DNP), hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), and lead azide.
Moreover, all four face charges related to the possession of Western University property valued at less than $5,000. Wang, in particular, is charged with illicitly accessing computer data pertaining to firearms for manufacturing purposes. The accused individuals are currently navigating the legal process, with two individuals out on bail and the remaining two in custody under strict conditions. Tong and Wang, among others, have been granted bail with varying terms of release.