Toronto East correctional officer charged with smuggling drugs into jail
CBC
A correctional officer at the Toronto East Detention Centre has been charged with smuggling potentially lethal drugs into the Scarborough jail, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
The rookie jail guard, Dylan Pinnavaria, has also been suspended with pay as an internal investigation unfolds.
The sources, who CBC Toronto is not identifying as they are not authorized to speak publicly about the case, say Pinnavaria was arrested after the jail's surveillance cameras recorded him carrying a package through the medium security facility and allegedly entering an inmate's cell.
Jail staff immediately seized the package and launched an investigation.
The seizure then prompted staff to search Pinnavaria's vehicle, which was parked at the jail. The sources say the search uncovered cannabis, heroin and ceramic blades. Police were notified and Pinnavaria was arrested shortly after. He's facing weapons, drug trafficking and breach-of-trust charges.
Toronto police say Pinnavaria, 24, was charged on Sept. 7 and is set to appear in court Oct.19, though they would not confirm that he is a correctional officer. A spokesperson said the investigation is ongoing.
While the sources who spoke to CBC News said the arrest appears to be an isolated incident, the situation is raising concerns among those who advocate for incarcerated people suffering from addictions.
Richard Miller, the founder of Keep6ix, a non-profit organization that assists marginalized youth navigating the justice system, said he was informed of the incident by inmates at the jail on Eglinton Avenue East in Scarborough.
"One of the issues we're hearing about is safety when it comes to incarcerated individuals," he said.
Miller added that substance use has been a longstanding problem within Ontario jails. According to the Office of the Chief Coroner, there have been 80 drug toxicity deaths in Ontario corrections facilities from 2012 to 2021.
Miller said he finds this recent incident very concerning.
"It's one of the issues we have to deal with because we have individuals that are suffering from substance abuse," he said.
Miller says organizations like Keep6ix and other community groups try their best to provide support and information to incarcerated individuals living with addiction, but he wants to see more action taken by the province.
"We need to stop and look at the overall picture and how it affects us as taxpayers," he said.
The notion that home ownership guarantees financial security in old age is being challenged by a recent survey.
The family of Nash Prystie has identified him as the man who died in an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) shooting earlier this month north of Kenora, and is calling for more and quicker help for people with mental health challenges.
Playoff action in the Ontario Hockey League gets underway Thursday night for Guelph and Friday in Kitchener.
UPEI wants its faculty to sign on to an updated version of its sexual assault and discrimination policy, but the union that represents the school's academic staff says it wants the policies to be part of its collective agreement.
In Texas this week for a global energy conference, the federal natural resources minister is proclaiming "Canada is back" and ready to bolster its energy sector and grow exports.
Members of Parliament last year went on the fewest sponsored international trips in the last 15 years, excluding the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ontario is running out of time to beef up rules that would crack down on negligent and misbehaving municipal politicians ahead of the next civic election, some experts and opposition critics warn.
Six London teens are each facing multiple charges following a break-and-enter spree at homes in the city's southwest end early Sunday, police said.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is putting the finishing touches on completing the Team Gushue Highway, but it means drivers might have to change their routes until later this summer.
Passage of the Nova Scotia government's budget bill stalled late Tuesday night when a group of singing protesters shut down the final vote to approve the budget.
Health Minister John Dornan said Woodstock-based eVisitNB will continue to provide virtual health-care services to New Brunswickers for another 90 days after March 31.
The head of Canada's largest airline has been summoned to Ottawa to explain why he spoke only in English when he offered his condolences to the families of those killed or hurt in the collision between a plane and a fire truck at a New York City airport on Sunday.
Manitoba is bucking a national trend by promising to slash its deficit, while boosting health care spending by nearly $1 billion and delivering modest affordability measures, including a PST cut that will save you money next time you buy a soda and bag of chips.