Former Kelowna gangster busted in Red Deer

KELOWNA – The arrest of a known gang member from B.C. shows the Red Scorpions are moving into Alberta.

Cory James Lesperance, 29, was arrested in Red Deer last week after a long investigation by RCMP and police from several jurisdictions.

“The investigation focused on the Red Scorpions drug trafficking operation and their infiltration of the Alberta market,” RCMP Corp. Sarah Knelsen says in a media release. “Lesperance is alleged to be at the centre of a drug trafficking network operating in Alberta.”

Sgt. Lindsey Houghton with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit in B.C. tells the Vancouver Sun he’s not surprise the Red Scorpions have moved east into Alberta.

“We see B.C.-born and bred gangsters and the gangs that they belong to expand wherever the money is, wherever there’s a market for the product they’re selling in this case drugs.”

The former Kelowna gangster faces 14 drug and weapons charges following his arrest at a Red Deer area home.

Police executed a series of raids and seized a semi-automatic handgun, a stolen shotgun and three replica handguns. They also found quantities of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, psilocybin and steroids.

Three of Lesperance’s associates were also arrested, Robin Joseph Steward, 52, Nicholas David James White, 21, and Amber McLeod, 23.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander at halexander@infonews.ca or call 250-491-0331. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.