A London man was sent to prison Monday for his part in a gun smuggling scheme that involved several police services including London. In the summer of 2023, Project SAFE was able to seize a cache of firearms and ammunition resulting in hundreds of charges against several people, including Tyreese Cumberbatch, 26, of London, Ont. In an agreed statement of facts, the court heard how 150 dangerous firearms were taken off the streets during the joint police operation. Cumberbatch is one of the remaining defendants to be dealt with in the case. On Monday, he pleaded guilty to importing firearms and being a part of a criminal organization. During the proceedings, Justice Evelyn ten Cate told the court, “The main aggravating factor is the attempted importation of 150 dangerous firearms, which were designed to maim and kill.” Cumberbatch was handed a seven-and-a-half-year sentence, along with a 20-year firearm prohibition. With credit for time already served, he has about three and a half years left to serve in prison.
