Police lay 102 charges in Project Bourbon, the province’s largest-ever seizure of cocaine and contraband tobacco

Local News, News October 9th, 2025

RCMP Federal Policing – Eastern Region has laid charges against 10 individuals as part of Project Bourbon, an organized crime investigation resulted in what is believed to be Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest seizure of cocaine and contraband tobacco.

The investigation, which began in February 2023, focused on organized crime groups trafficking cocaine from British Columbia and contraband tobacco from Ontario into the province.

In September and October 2024, police executed search warrants at six properties in St. John’s and one in Mount Pearl, with the assistance of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. The searches resulted in the seizure of cocaine with an estimated street value of $1.6 million and 9.5 million contraband cigarettes with an estimated street value of $2.6 million.

Additional items seized included quantities of methamphetamine, MDMA, illicit cannabis and hashish, firearms, cash and eight vehicles. The combined value of all items seized was estimated at nearly $5 million.

This week, RCMP Federal Policing – Eastern Region announced that charges have been laid against ten people under the Criminal Code, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Cannabis Act, Excise Act 2001 and Revenue Administration Act.

Stephen Pendergast, age 41 of St. John’s, is charged with:

• Assault with a weapon (Criminal Code) – 2 counts
• Assault causing bodily harm (Criminal Code) – 2 counts
• Flight from a police officer (Criminal Code)
• Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle (Criminal Code)
• Mischief over $5,000 (Criminal Code) – 4 counts
• Taking motor vehicle without consent (Criminal Code)
• Conspiracy to traffic cocaine (Criminal Code)
• Conspiracy to possess for the purpose of trafficking cocaine (Criminal Code)
• Possession of property obtained by crime (Criminal Code)
• Trafficking cocaine (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Trafficking MDMA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking MDMA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Unlawful transportation or distribution ofunstamped tobacco products (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful possession of unstamped tobacco products (Excise Act, 2001)
• Unlawful possession of contraband tobacco (Revenue Administration Act)

David Reddy, 51, of St. John’s, is charged with:

• Conspiracy to traffic cocaine (Criminal Code)
• Conspiracy to possess for the purpose of trafficking cocaine (Criminal Code)
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) – 2 counts
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking MDMA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) – 2 counts
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking LSD (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Trafficking cocaine (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Trafficking MDMA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Possession of property obtained by crime (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful transportation or distribution ofunstamped tobacco products (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful possession of unstamped tobacco products (Excise Act, 2001)
• Unlawful possession of contraband (Revenue Administration Act)

Thirty-three-year-old Brandon Quilty of St. John’s, is charged with:

• Conspiracy to traffic cocaine (Criminal Code)
• Conspiracy to possess for the purpose of trafficking cocaine (Criminal Code)
• Trafficking cocaine (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) – 2 counts
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking LSD (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking MDMA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking psilocybin (mushrooms) (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Possession of Cannabis for the purpose of distributing it (Cannabis Act) – 5 counts
• Possession of Cannabis for the purpose of selling it (Cannabis Act) – 5 counts
• Possession of property obtained by crime (Criminal Code)

Stewart Hillier, 62, of Portugal Cove-St. Phillips, is charged with:

• Conspiracy to transport and distribute illicit tobacco (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful transportation or distribution ofunstamped tobacco products (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful possession of unstamped tobacco products (Excise Act, 2001)
• Possession of contraband tobacco (Revenue Administration Act)
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking MDMA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
• Possession of Cannabis for the purpose of distributing it (Cannabis Act)
• Possession of Cannabis for the purpose of selling it (Cannabis Act)

Sixty-two-year-old Robert Sullivan of Mount Pearl, is charged with:

• Conspiracy to transport and distribute illicit tobacco (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful transportation or distribution ofunstamped tobacco products (Criminal Code) – 3 counts
• Unlawful possession of unstamped tobacco products (Excise Act, 2001) – 3 counts
• Possession of contraband tobacco (Revenue Administration Act) – 3 counts

Keith Kirkpatrick, age 47, of St. John’s, is charged with:

• Conspiracy to transport and distribute illicit tobacco (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful transportation or distribution ofunstamped tobacco products (Criminal Code) – 3 counts
• Unlawful possession of unstamped tobacco products (Excise Act, 2001) – 3 counts
• Possession of contraband tobacco (Revenue Administration Act) – 3 counts
• Tampering with vehicle identification number (Criminal Code)

Michael Reardon, 51, of St. John’s, is charged with:

• Conspiracy to transport and distribute illicit tobacco (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful transportation or distribution ofunstamped tobacco products (Criminal Code) – 2counts
• Possession of contraband tobacco (Revenue Administration Act) – 2 counts
• Unlawful possession of unstamped tobacco products (Excise Act, 2001) – 2 counts

Thirty-year-old Allan Dooley of St. John’s, is charged with:

• Conspiracy to transport and distribute illicit tobacco (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful transportation or distribution ofunstamped tobacco products (Criminal Code)
• Possession of contraband tobacco (Revenue Administration Act)
• Unlawful possession of unstamped tobacco products (Excise Act, 2001)

Jeremy Hillier, age 35, of Portugal Cove-St. Phillips, is charged with: 

• Conspiracy to transport and distribute illicit tobacco (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful transportation or distribution ofunstamped tobacco products (Criminal Code)
• Possession of contraband tobacco (Revenue Administration Act)
• Unlawful possession of unstamped tobacco products (Excise Act, 2001)

Jesse James Fair, age 26, of Hamilton, Ontario, is charged with:

• Conspiracy to transport and distribute illicit tobacco (Criminal Code)
• Unlawful transportation or distribution ofunstamped tobacco products (Criminal Code)
• Possession of contraband tobacco (Revenue Administration Act)
• Unlawful possession of unstamped tobacco products (Excise Act, 2001)
• Possession of property obtained by crime (Criminal Code)
• Tampering with vehicle identification number (Criminal Code)

Pendergast, Reddy and Quilty all appeared in court on Oct. 2, and are scheduled to appear next on November 7.

Fair, Stewart and Jeremy Hillier, Kirkpatrick, Sullivan, Reardon and Dooley are scheduled to appear in Provincial Court in St. John’s on Oct. 23.