Former Ministry of Transportation employee facing additional charges connected to GTA criminal network: York police

Photo shows the people arrested in connection with York Regional Police's Project Skyfall investigation.

Additional charges have been laid in a year-long York police investigation into a criminal network involved in home invasions, armed robberies, and drug trafficking in the Greater Toronto Area.

The investigation, dubbed “Project Skyfall,” was announced by York Regional Police in December last year. Seventeen people were arrested and faced a combined total of 83 charges.

Now, police say 39 additional charges have been laid against two suspects accused of accessing the databanks of Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation to benefit the criminal network.

Police say Orangeville resident and former Ministry of Transportation employee Shanell Ridgwell, 33, has been charged with 13 counts each of unauthorized use of a computer and breach of trust by a public official.

Newton Treasure, 34, of Brampton is also facing 13 charges of unauthorized use of a computer.

The charges have not been tested in court.

Both Ridgwell and Treasure were also charged when the initial results from “Project Skyfall” were announced.

At the time, police had confirmed that one of the suspects charged worked for the Ministry of Transportation at the time of their arrest.

“What I can tell you is that we’re confident that there is no further information being accessed by those offenders at this time,” Det. Sgt. Ryan Boulay said in December.