Niagara Police constable found guilty of smuggling

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Niagara Regional police constable Scott Heron has been found guilty of smugging $300,000 worth of cheese and chicken wings into Canada. As Lauran Sabourin reports, Heron was convicted of conspiracy to violate the customs act, and breach of trust, for searching a police data base to find out if investigators were onto him.

Scott Heron had no comment walking out of the Welland Courthouse, but his lawyer Mike Delgobbo did. “Very disappointing…disappointing day for me and for him.”

Crown Prosecutor Amber Pashuk argued Heron was part of a criminal smuggling enterprise. Justice James Ramsay convicted him on 4 of 6 counts. “We’re very pleased, justice was done. Justice Ramsay very carefully considered the evidence. It demonstrates the public can have confidence in our ability to aggressively investigate our own. It reaffirms our trust in the justice system.”

The prosecution’s star witness was former Niagara police officer and convicted drug smuggler Geoff Purdie. Purdie testified he would smuggle cases of cheese into Canada, saving 240 %. Heron would make the phone calls for pickup.

Justice James Ramsay says Heron was the organizer and recruiter, Purdie the transporter. Others sold the cheese to restaurants.

Mike Delgobbo says Purdie was an unreliable witness. At a hospital closing protest a few years ago when an “H” was burned on the lawn, it was Geoff Purdie who was arresting people. This week while being cross examined, Delgobbo put to Purdie that he bragged to people about torching his wife’s nail salon in 2008 for an insurance payout, because he couldn’t make the lease payments. Purdie said it didn’t happen.

Scott Heron will be sentenced in November. The maximum for these crimes 5 years in prison.

Since being arrested and charged 3 years ago, Scott Heron has been collecting his 90 thousand dollar, plus, police salary.