February 25, 2022.
2021 Service Recognition Awards – Excellence in Investigation for an extortion that targeted an elderly couple in Bradford.
Recipients: Sergeant Ian Fenik, Detective Constable Andrew Smith and Crime Analyst Cliff Aguiar
On June 4th, 2021 an unknown suspect called the couple’s home and threatened that police were about to storm their house with guns if they didn’t put $10,000 in a flower pot outside their home. The terrified couple complied and the suspects picked up the cash and fled. A lengthy investigation ensued by (then) Detective Constable Ian Fenik. He eventually identified an organized group that had been charged in a GTA extortion project using the same M.O.
Detective Constable Andrew Smith assisted by engaging with Interpol and European authorities that had an active investigation underway on an organized group that were committing these same extortions world-wide.
Crime Analyst Cliff Aguiar was a source of invaluable analytical information and made significant linkages while securing evidence through this analysis.
DC Fenik and Smith liaised with several police agencies in the GTA as well as German Police authorities regarding their investigation. Production Orders corroborated information that led to a search warrant at a home in Toronto and the November 25th, 2020 arrest of a 35-year-old Toronto man who had been charged in the past with doing the exact same type of extortions.
This investigation would have stalled without the information sharing and teamwork of all involved. D/Csts Fenik, Smith and Analyst Aguiar are commended for the crucial roles they played and ultimately the successful conclusion of this extensive investigation.
