911 operator fed police information to associates of FK and Independent Soldiers gangs, court doc alleges
CBC
When Calgary detectives found images of highly sensitive police database searches on the cellphones of men associated with the FK and Independent Soldier gangs twice in a six-week period, they knew they had a problem.
Someone on the inside was feeding protected investigative information on rival gangsters to organized crime groups.
A newly released search warrant application, known as an ITO (information to obtain), provides new details on the allegations faced by Calgary 911 operator Marian Buonincontri, 59, who faces charges of breach of trust, mischief, and fraudulent use of a computer system.
For the first time, the suspected groups involved in receiving leaked information have been identified.
Last week during a brief court hearing, lawyers for the Calgary Police Service (CPS) and the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service agreed to release a redacted version of a 26-page ITO to CBC News.
Authored by Det. Jennifer MacDougall, the document shows police were deeply concerned about the leaked information and for the safety of at least one innocent person whose personal details were fed to people involved in organized crime.
"It is unknown the damage or safety Buonincontri has caused with the information provided but it is believed that some information provided to organized crime is of innocent, uninvolved bystanders," reads part of the ITO dated March 1, 2023.
The ITO outlines the evidence police discovered that led to the investigation into Buonincontri that supported a judge's sign-off, allowing detectives access to the data on three cellphones.
The phones belonged to Buonincontri and two men; Steven Mark and Domenico Loiacono.
Police say those men are associated with two the FK and Independent Soldiers, two of the most notorious and violent gangs operating in Calgary.
Investigators allege Buonincontri used her high-level security clearance and access to confidential police databases to search the names and licence plate numbers of known gang associates, providing the results to rival organized crime groups.
By the time charges were laid against the emergency communications officer, police said they'd discovered more than 200 screenshots of police database searches on Buonincontri's seized electronic devices.
Domenico Loiacono is a name Calgary police know well.
According to the ITO, Loiacono "has been found to associate with members of the Independent Soldiers," a B.C.-based gang with strong ties to Calgary.
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