Former correctional officer facing charges after allegedly smuggling contraband into Fraser Valley prison
Posted August 28, 2024 5:43 pm.
Last Updated August 29, 2024 10:42 am.
Police say four people, including a former Correctional Officer, have been charged with multiple offences after contraband was allegedly smuggled into a Fraser Valley prison.
Mounties say they found evidence consistent with someone smuggling drugs, weapons, and cellphones to inmates during a raid last September.
They say that on Sept. 21, 2023, multiple search warrants were executed in locations in Chilliwack where Canadian currency, illicit substances, and illegal contraband were found.
In a release Wednesday, the Chilliwack RCMP said Jason Lee is facing nine charges that include obstruction of justice, accepting bribes, and trafficking drugs, weapons, and cellular phones to inmates.
Lee was charged with the following:
- Obstruction of justice as part of a criminal organization
- Conspiracy to obstruct justice
- Conspiracy to commit the indictable offence of trafficking in a controlled substance
- Obstruction of Justice
- Accepting a bribe as a peace officer
- Breach of trust by a public officer
- Trafficking in a controlled substance as part of a criminal organization
- Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking
- Conspiracy to commit the indictable offence of bribery
As a result of this investigation, three other men also face multiple charges.
Mark Majcher, Lucas Thiessen, and Jeffrey Tkatchuk are all facing the following charges:
- Obstruction of justice as part of a criminal organization
- Conspiracy to obstruct justice
- Conspiracy to bribe a peace officer
- Conspiracy to commit the indictable offence of trafficking in a controlled substance
- Obstruction of Justice
Tkatchuk is also facing a charge of “possession for the purpose of trafficking.”
Lee has been released on strict bail conditions while the court process continues.
The RCMP says this was a complex investigation that involved “meticulous police work.”
“We take this type of criminal activity seriously not only to protect our communities but also to ensure public trust in law enforcement. Throughout the investigative process, Canada Correctional Services was an integral partner in ensuring a comprehensive and quality investigation was completed,” Corp. Carmen Kiener of the Chilliwack RCMP said.
