Four individuals involved in an investigation related to the manufacturing of explosives and firearms in London, Ontario, are now facing 19 additional charges, as per court documents submitted on Tuesday. The accused individuals, namely Jerry Tong, Zekun (Alex) Wang, Fei (Frank) Han, and Feiyang (Astrid) Ji, were initially charged in January. All four have ties to Western University, with the men having backgrounds in the engineering department.
The updated charges, which were filed in the Ontario Court of Justice, bring the total counts to 31, including joint charges against all four and specific charges against individual defendants. The new allegations encompass possession of five distinct explosive substances, possession of stolen property, and unauthorized access to computer data related to firearm production.
The investigation originated on January 24 when law enforcement responded to a trespassing incident at Western University, leading to arrests. Further inquiries led the authorities to a residence in the University Heights neighborhood, where additional suspects were apprehended. Police conducted extensive searches at the residence in London, where three of the accused resided, as well as at two other homes in Orléans, Ottawa, and Gatineau, Quebec.
Initially arrested on multiple firearms charges, including firearm manufacturing and possession of a loaded restricted handgun, Tong, Wang, and Ji are now facing additional charges. These include possession of firearm accessories, possession of another prohibited firearm, and improper storage of a rifle. Tong faces a bulk of the charges, with new accusations related to incidents in other cities involving firearms.
Moreover, Wang is accused of manufacturing a weapon during a specific period, while both Wang and Tong are charged with breaking into a Western building in the past. The court documents also outline a fresh set of charges against all four defendants for possessing explosive substances, naming them for the first time. The substances include pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrophenol (DNP), hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), and lead azide.
The accused individuals are also charged with possessing property belonging to Western University valued at under $5,000. Wang faces a separate charge for accessing computer data related to firearms, specifically design files for manufacturing devices using technology like 3D printers or metal milling machines.
In total, Tong faces 28 charges, Wang faces 20, Han faces 11, and Ji faces 13 charges. Two of the accused are out on bail, while the other two remain in custody, with varying conditions imposed on their release. Tong and Wang have faced additional charges related to events predating their arrests.
Tong, who did not seek bail, remains in custody, while Han was denied bail and held in custody since February. Wang was granted bail in March under strict conditions, including house arrest and supervision by two sureties. Ji is also out on bail without sureties.