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Moncton Independent Observer, Moncton, NB (2026)

02/17/2025

📢 A Big Thank You to Our Followers! 🙌

Over the past few days, we've welcomed so many new followers to the Moncton Independent Observer, and we can't thank you enough for your support! 🎉

Our mission is to bring factual, independent court reporting to the people of Moncton and surrounding areas. But to make a real impact, we need your help!

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02/16/2025

Former RCMP Officer Appeals Assault, Breach of Trust Conviction

🚨 Ex-Mountie Challenges Guilty Verdict in Case Involving Teenager

A former RCMP officer convicted of assault and breach of trust is set to appeal his case this fall in the Saint John Court of King’s Bench.

Osama Ibrahim, 30, was convicted in December 2023 on multiple charges, including:

🔹 Assault
🔹 Breach of trust
🔹 Choking during an assault
🔹 Carrying or threatening to use a weapon during an assault

He was acquitted of sexual assault but received a two-year conditional sentence, including nine months of house arrest, in January 2024.

Appeal Set for October

📅 Ibrahim’s appeal will be heard on October 28, 2025.

In his appeal, he claims the trial judge failed to properly assess inconsistencies in the Crown’s case, improperly relied on bad character evidence, and held the defense to a higher standard of scrutiny.

The Case Against Ibrahim

The trial centered around a months-long relationship in 2022 between Ibrahim, then 27, and a 16-year-old girl.

⚖️ Court heard that:

Ibrahim, who was stationed with the Western Valley RCMP in Woodstock, frequently visited the girl’s family home and restaurant while working overtime shifts in Grand Bay-Westfield.
In January 2022, he asked for her hand in marriage, but her mother told him she was too young and advised waiting until she was 19 or 20.

The girl later alleged physical abuse, claiming Ibrahim hit, bit, pinched, and choked her.

🔹 Ibrahim denied the allegations, arguing that videos showing them struggling were horseplay and consensual.
🔹 The judge ruled that the girl and her family were credible witnesses, while Ibrahim’s own testimony lacked internal logic.

What’s Next?

Since his conviction, Ibrahim has resigned from the RCMP and is currently living in Quebec.

His appeal hearing on October 28 will determine whether he is granted a new trial or if the original conviction stands.

The Moncton Independent Observer will continue to follow this case.

🔔 Follow us for real-time court updates and legal analysis.

02/15/2025

📢 Like, Follow & Share! ⚖️

The Moncton Independent Observer is here to bring you real, factual court reporting on the cases that matter in our community. But to make an impact, we need your help.

🔍 Why does this matter? Because truth, transparency, and accountability are the foundation of a just society. When government, law enforcement, and institutions know that the public is watching, change happens.

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Your engagement ensures that important stories get seen, that victims’ voices are heard, and that those in power are held accountable.

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02/15/2025

CHARGES LAID

Fredericton Man Charged in Child Exploitation Investigation

🚨 RCMP Seize Electronic Devices Following Cybercrime Tip

A 30-year-old Fredericton man has been charged with child po*******hy-related offences following an investigation by the New Brunswick RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit.

🔎 The investigation began in July 2024 after the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre flagged concerns.

On September 24, 2024, officers executed a search warrant at a Fredericton residence, where they arrested the suspect and seized multiple electronic devices.

On February 10, 2025, police formally charged Brady Matthew Worden with:

🔹 Possession of child po*******hy
🔹 Transmission of child po*******hy
🔹 Breach of a prohibition order

He has been released under conditions and is scheduled to return to court on February 25, 2025.

Authorities Urge Public to Report Child Exploitation

The New Brunswick RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit, which includes members of the Saint John Police Force and Kennebecasis Regional Police Force, remains committed to combating online child exploitation.

If you have any information related to similar crimes, please contact:

📞 Your local police
📲 Cybertip.ca – Canada’s national tip line for reporting child exploitation
📢 Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-TIPS) for anonymous tips

The Moncton Independent Observer will continue to follow this case as it progresses through the court system.

🔔 Follow us for updates on this and other major cases in New Brunswick.

02/15/2025

🚨 POLL: Should Canadians Fight Back Against Trump’s Tariffs? 🇨🇦💪

Donald Trump is slapping tariffs on Canadian goods again, sparking debate over how we should respond. Some say it’s time to double down on buying local and support Canadian businesses. Others argue free trade is still the best path forward.

🔥 What do YOU think? 🔥 Drop your vote in the comments! 👇

A - Hell yes! 🇨🇦 Support Canadian, buy Canadian!
B - Trade wars hurt everyone – we need open markets.
C - It depends on the industry. Some need protection, others don’t.
D - I’ll buy whatever’s cheapest – tariffs or not.

💬 Tag a friend & let’s get this conversation going!

Should Canada fight back or take the high road? 👇👇

02/14/2025

"I Was Not There to Protect Him": Family Grieves at Moncton Murder Sentencing

⚖️ Judge Set to Impose Life Sentence on Riley Phillips for 2022 Killing

A Moncton courtroom was filled with grief and heartbreak on Monday as the family of 18-year-old Joedin Leger faced the man convicted of his murder nearly three years ago.

Riley Phillips, now 20, was found guilty of second-degree murder in November after a jury deliberated for three days. His sentencing hearing took place this week, with a formal sentence set for April 3.

A Mother's Pain

“I really don’t know who I am anymore because I only think of myself as his mom,” said Dawnita Hanson, Leger’s mother, in a tearful victim impact statement.

She described being haunted by the knowledge that her son died scared and in pain, without her there to comfort or protect him.

Leger’s father, Rodney Leger, was so overcome with emotion that he could not finish reading his statement, simply saying:
💔 “I went from being a proud dad to a broken man in seconds.”

Prosecution and Defense Argue Parole Eligibility

⚖️ A second-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence, but parole eligibility can be set between 10 to 25 years.

Crown prosecutor Stephen Holt requested 12 years before parole eligibility, arguing Leger was killed during a home invasion robbery.
Defense lawyer Brian Munro pushed for 10 years, citing Phillips’ young age at the time of the crime.

Holt also criticized the defense’s strategy, which involved showing the jury videos of Leger handling fi****ms and using drugs, calling it an attempt to tarnish the victim’s character.

The Deadly Robbery That Took Leger’s Life

According to witness testimony, Phillips was part of a plan to rob Leger and his girlfriend of cash and ma*****na on April 25, 2022.

🔹 Phillips was not part of the original planning but was picked up just before the robbery.
🔹 Leger was shot multiple times in his Moncton home while Phillips suffered a gunshot wound to the hand during the altercation.
🔹 A young offender, who was present at the time, later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to three years.
🔹 Three others—Hayden LeBlanc, Nicholas McAvoy, and Hunter England—pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received sentences between five and seven years.

Phillips Faces Additional Criminal Charges

Phillips’ legal troubles are far from over. Before the murder, he was charged in March 2022 with:
🔹 Armed robbery—allegedly stealing a phone and bank cards while armed with a baton and machete.
🔹 Assault causing bodily harm and uttering death threats.

He is also accused of:
🔹 Assaulting a peace officer at the Shediac jail in January 2024.

He is set to return to court on April 28 for those charges.

What’s Next?
🔹 April 3—Phillips will receive his official sentence for second-degree murder.
🔹 April 28—He will appear in court for other pending charges.

The Moncton Independent Observer will continue to follow this case.

🔔 Follow us for real-time court updates.

Pictured is Joedin Leger (victim).

02/14/2025

Justice for the Poor, Immunity for the Rich: Canada's Legal System is a Sham

OPINION – Moncton Independent Observer

Imagine a world where the law applies equally to everyone—rich or poor. A radical idea, right? Yet in Canada, justice is for sale, and billionaires are the only ones who can afford it. While ordinary people are thrown into court for stealing food to survive, the ultra-wealthy commit financial crimes on a grand scale and walk away with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

Take the infamous Canadian Bread Price-Fixing Scandal—a $4.9 billion heist where grocery giants, including Loblaw, inflated bread prices for over a decade. The punishment? A $50 million fine for Canada Bread, while Loblaw conveniently secured full immunity. Not a single executive saw the inside of a courtroom. Meanwhile, a desperate mother who shoplifts a loaf of bread for her kids could end up facing criminal charges.

If that wasn’t enough, Loblaw was also caught overcharging customers for meat at 80 stores. Their excuse? A small mistake. But when it comes to billionaires, "mistakes" tend to be wildly profitable—Loblaw reported $13.6 billion in revenue in early 2024, with shareholders pocketing $460 million while millions of Canadians struggle to afford groceries.

And let’s not forget that in 2019, the government handed $12 million in taxpayer dollars to Loblaw to help fund new refrigerators—because apparently, billionaires need public subsidies too.

The pattern is clear:
🔹 The rich steal on a massive scale—no consequences.
🔹 The poor steal to survive—they get prosecuted.

If Canada’s justice system had any integrity, these grocery execs wouldn’t just face regulatory fines—they’d be standing before a judge. Instead, we’ve created a system where poverty is criminalized, but corporate crime is just “business as usual.”

If we can throw the book at the hungry, it’s about time we crack it open for the billionaires robbing the entire country.

02/14/2025

British Columbia Court of Appeal Overturns Drug and Weapons Convictions Due to Charter Violations

📌 Case: R. v. Khamvongsa, 2025 BCCA 33
📅 Judgment Date: February 5, 2025
⚖️ Outcome: Convictions Quashed, New Trial Ordered

The British Columbia Court of Appeal has overturned the drug and weapons convictions of Khamphou Khamvongsa, ruling that the trial judge made a serious legal error in assessing the admissibility of key evidence obtained through a Charter-infringing search.

🔍 Background:

Khamvongsa was convicted in 2023 on multiple drug, fi****ms, and weapons charges after police executed a search warrant at his Vancouver apartment. The search uncovered:

-56.33 grams of co***ne
-$28,410 in cash
-Drug paraphernalia & ledgers
-Prohibited weapons (nunchaku, butterfly knife)
-Multiple fi****ms (including two loaded Glocks and a Re*****on sh***un)

💥 The Problem?

The search was deemed unconstitutional under Section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms because the warrant was issued without sufficient legal grounds. Despite this, the trial judge allowed the evidence under Section 24(2) of the Charter, reasoning that excluding it would harm the administration of justice.

📢 Appeal Ruling:

The Court of Appeal disagreed and quashed the convictions, ordering a new trial. The key issue was the seriousness of police misconduct in obtaining the warrant. The trial judge failed to fully consider how misleading information in the warrant application compromised the judicial process.

Key Takeaways from the Appeal Decision:

✔️ The search warrant was invalid due to insufficient grounds.
✔️ The police misrepresented evidence to justify the warrant.
✔️ The trial judge downplayed the impact of the Charter breach.
✔️ The ruling on admissibility was flawed, requiring a new trial.

🚨 Why This Matters:

This case underscores the importance of protecting Charter rights and ensuring police accountability. A warrant obtained with misleading or insufficient information cannot justify a conviction, even in cases involving serious charges.

📍 Follow the Moncton Independent Observer for more court updates and legal news.

02/14/2025

Evidence Hearings Begin for Former Moncton Executive Accused of Fraud

Daniel Bard to Stand Trial in April on 19 Fraud-Related Charges

A former Moncton economic development executive returned to court this week as hearings began to determine what evidence will be admissible in his upcoming trial.

Daniel Bard, 60, faces 19 charges, including fraud, theft, and money laundering, in connection with financial irregularities exceeding $1 million. His six-week trial is set to begin on April 22, 2025.

Allegations Against Bard

Bard was previously vice-president of investment attraction for 3+ Corporation, a municipally funded business development agency for the Moncton region, from 2016 to 2018.

In 2019, multiple business owners and individuals accused Bard of collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in administrative and brokerage fees without fulfilling promises—before disappearing entirely.

He was later arrested in northwest New Brunswick in 2022 following an RCMP investigation into the alleged financial misconduct.

Key Evidence Under Review

At a hearing on Monday, Judge Anne Richard heard legal arguments on whether certain pieces of evidence will be admissible at trial.

🔹 Bard’s Statement to Police: His defense lawyer, James Matheson, confirmed that Bard’s statement made after his arrest will be admissible in the trial.

🔹 Secret Audio Recordings: A key debate centers around two surreptitious recordings of Bard, made by business owners Saly and Clinton Davis in July 2019.

Business Owners Testify About Secret Recordings

The Davis couple testified that they recorded Bard without his knowledge during a restaurant meeting and later at his home because they suspected unethical or illegal activity.

“I wanted to document our conversations in the event that I may one day need them,” Clinton Davis told the court.

The couple had paid Bard’s company $25,000 USD in 2017, expecting business development services, but received no results and grew frustrated.

During the 2019 meeting, Bard allegedly gave them a cheque to return their money—but it was:

❌ In the wrong currency
❌ Bounced when reissued
❌ Never actually repaid

Defense lawyers challenged the recordings, questioning:

-Why they recorded Bard without consent
-Whether the audio had been edited
-How the recordings were handed over to police

A police witness is expected to testify on Wednesday about the authenticity of the recordings.

Upcoming Rulings

Judge Anne Richard is expected to rule on:

✅ Whether the recordings will be allowed as evidence
✅ If a Crown witness qualifies as an expert in financial crime

What’s Next?

With the trial scheduled for April, these rulings will play a crucial role in determining what evidence can be used against Bard.

The Moncton Independent Observer will continue to follow this case as it unfolds.

🔔 Follow us for real-time updates on this and other major court cases in Moncton.

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