Four individuals implicated in a London, Ontario investigation involving the manufacturing of explosives and firearms are now facing 19 additional charges, as per court records submitted on Tuesday. Jerry Tong, Zekun (Alex) Wang, Fei (Frank) Han, and Feiyang (Astrid) Ji were initially charged in January. They were all either students or recent graduates of Western University, with the three male suspects having backgrounds in the engineering department.
The revised list of charges presented to the Ontario Court of Justice now totals 31 separate counts. Some of the charges are collective against all four individuals, while others are specific to each accused. The latest charges include the possession of five distinct explosive substances, possession of stolen property, and access to computer data related to firearm production.
The investigation, which commenced on January 24, stemmed from a trespassing incident at Western University where two men entered an engineering building overnight. One individual was apprehended outside the building, leading authorities to a residence in the nearby University Heights area where the other three suspects were taken into custody.
Law enforcement conducted an extensive search of the residence at 212 Chesham Place where Wang, Han, and Ji resided, as well as two other properties in Orléans, a suburb of Ottawa, and Gatineau, Quebec.
Initially facing multiple firearms charges, including the manufacture of a handgun and possession of a loaded restricted handgun, Tong, Wang, and Ji now confront new allegations such as possession of magazines and suppression devices, as well as possession of another prohibited firearm. Tong and Wang additionally face charges for handling and carelessly storing a rifle.
Tong, who bears the brunt of the charges, is also accused of incidents in other cities. He is charged with storing rifles in an Orléans home, manufacturing a prohibited firearm in Ottawa, and possessing a rifle at an unauthorized site in Quebec.
The accused individuals now face a fresh set of charges for possessing explosive substances, namely pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrophenol (DNP), hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), and lead azide. They were initially charged with possession of precursor substances and finished high explosives.
Wang is individually charged with accessing computer data relevant to firearms, specifically design files usable with a 3D printer, metal milling machine, or similar system for manufacturing a device.
The four suspects collectively face a count of possessing Western University property valued at less than $5,000. Wang, on the other hand, faces a unique charge of accessing computer data related to firearms or prohibited devices.
In total, the accused individuals are up against the following number of charges: Tong – 28, Wang – 20, Han – 11, and Ji – 13. Two of them are currently out on bail while the other two remain in custody. Tong did not seek bail, Han was denied bail and remanded in custody, Wang was granted bail with strict conditions, and Ji is out on bail without sureties.