Photo: Calgary Police Service
One of the cannabis grow operations raided during the December busts.
A Kelowna man accused of being behind the “ChronFather” website has died.
Police raided several properties in Beaverdell, Kelowna and Calgary in December 2021, stemming from their investigation into a website that had been selling psilocybin mushroom and illicit cannabis – ChronFather.ca.
The Calgary Police Service claimed they seized more than $13 million worth of drugs, including 2,636 kilograms of dried cannabis and cannabis plants, 7.2 kilograms of shatter, cannabis oils/resin and edibles, along with what they claimed was more than $85,000 worth of psilocybin in both dried and gummy forms.
As a result of the investigation, Chandler Cannon was arrested at his Kelowna home and charged with possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000 in Alberta. He was scheduled to face trial next March.
But on Dec. 2, the Crown withdrew the charge against Cannon, following Cannon’s death.
It’s not clear how or when Cannon died.
The police investigation dates back to April 2021, when an undercover officer purchased $300 in psilocybin and $270 in cannabis through ChronFather.ca. This led to the simultaneous search warrants being executed at properties in Calgary, Kelowna and Beaverdell on Dec. 7 and 8, 2021.
The Calgary Police Service alleges the operation collected more than $11 million through its illicit sales of cannabis and mushrooms in 2021 alone, before it was shut down in December. Police claim the site had been operating since August 2018.
In addition to the criminal charge Cannon faced, the BC government is working to seize several properties it alleges were used in the commission of crimes, including a property on Kelowna’s Rittich Road and on Beaverdell’s Solomon Road where cannabis was allegedly being grown.
The government is also attempting to seize Cannon’s home in Kelowna’s Black Mountain area along with more than $53,000 in cash police found at the home, and a 2019 Ford F350 that’s registered to Cannon’s girlfriend.
The government froze several bank accounts it claims contains money from the alleged criminal activity. The civil defense efforts will continue despite Cannon’s death
“[Civil Forfeiture Office] Proceedings are against property, not people, so the civil proceedings will move forward,” said Chris Donnelly, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
In his response to the seizure claim filed earlier this year, Cannon denied all of the allegations leveled against him.
In addition to the charge against Cannon, his son, 20-year-old Tyson Ogilvie, and 21-year-old Reid Dahl were also arrested and charged in Calgary. These charges remain outstanding.
