Conservative Ontario MP’s family tied up in drug bust

Karen Vecchio, who is the member Elgin-Middlesex-London, has asked the media for privacy after a close family member was busted with $35,000 of illegal drugs, including fentanyl.

In a statement on Facebook, Vecchio said that she had "a personal connection to this case as a family member has been arrested. I ask that the privacy of my family and I are respected at this difficult time."

She later praised the police for their role in the investigation.

The St. Thomas police have removed all information about the investigation from their website, saying that there is a publication ban.

Despite this, Vecchio insisted that "as an elected official, I strongly believe in transparency. At no point did I or my family request a publication ban."

In total, the police seized $35,000 in drugs, $24,000 cash, four guns, an imitation firearm, a bulletproof vest, multiple knives and scales, according to the St. Thomas Times Journal.

According to police, this investigation "is a direct result of the ongoing commitment by members of the St. Thomas police service to crack down on drugs, guns and violent crime in our community."

According to CTV News London, the following items were seized:

• $24,500 in cash
• over 280 grams of methamphetamine
• over 25 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine
• purple fentanyl
• methadone
• hydromorphone, oxycodone and Xanax tablets
• scales

Also seized were a bulletproof vest, several knives and firearms including:

• Mossberg 715T, .22 calibre loaded firearm, serial numbers scratched off
• Remington 1911 R1S semi-automatic 45 calibre handgun, serial numbers scratched off
• Smith and Wesson SD9VE 9 millimeter handgun, serial numbers scratched off
• CQ-A .223 calibre semi-automatic rifle with barrel suppressor and prohibited magazine
• Mako replica firearm

Vecchio was first elected in 2015 by a significant margin in her riding in Ontario. She subsequently won reelection in 2019, increasing her vote share. She is supporting Peter MacKay in the Conservative leadership election.