A southern Ontario man indicted in one of the Sault's largest-ever drug busts is back in custody for allegedly breaching his bail conditions.
Court documents reveal that 44-year-old Richard Anderson Brewster — an alleged gang member also known as hip hop artist Richie Stacks — was arrested by police on Oct. 20 and charged with two counts of failing to comply with a release order.
A court-imposed publication ban prohibits SooToday and other media outlets from disclosing further details on the charges.
In 2023, Brewster, Leyla Ibrahim and Tequar Jones were among five individuals arrested and charged following a joint police operation that took more than $1 million in illicit drugs off the streets in three Ontario cities, including the Sault.
Approximately $470,000 worth of narcotics was seized by Sault Police in January 2023 while executing search warrants in the 600 block of MacDonald Avenue, including 700 grams of fentanyl.
At the time, the amount of fentanyl seized marked a record haul for police in the Sault.
Stacks of cash totalling approximately $74,000 and a vehicle that was allegedly stolen were also seized in the bust.
Another $620,000 in illicit drugs was seized following the execution of search warrants in Oshawa and Whitby as part of Project Otter, a joint operation between Sault Police, Durham Regional Police Service and the Thunder Bay Police Service.
Brewster, Ibrahim and Jones were initially facing charges in the Ontario Court of Justice for their alleged roles in trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Sault Ste. Marie, and possessing more than $5,000 in cash obtained by crime.
Those charges were then transferred to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice — reserved for the most serious criminal offences in Ontario — after the trio was indicted in December 2023.
None of the allegations have been tested in court and all three of the accused are considered innocent until proven guilty.
Brewster was originally arrested and charged by Sault Police in November 2022 for allegedly having a stolen car in his possession without a driver’s licence or car insurance, court documents show.
That charge has since been included as part of the Superior Court indictment.
In June 2024, a Superior Court judge approved an application for Brewster’s release from custody at Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre — with a number of strict conditions attached — while he awaits trial.
He is now scheduled to stand trial on Dec. 15 for the alleged breaches of his release order, which has effectively delayed the scheduling of trial dates for the trafficking-related offences in Superior Court.
Brewster is represented by Kim Schofield of Schofield Macchia LLP, a Toronto-based law firm that specializes in offences involving drugs, weapons and sexual assault.