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18-Year-Old Pleads Guilty in Edmonton "Project Gaslight" Arson and Extortion Scheme
18-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to Arson and Extortion in Edmonton's "Project Gaslight" Investigation
An 18-year-old man has pleaded guilty to arson, extortion, and assault in connection with Edmontonās "Project Gaslight" investigation, targeting South Asian home builders. The young manās sentence is set to be determined soon.
An 18-year-old man has pleaded guilty in the Edmonton Police Service's "Project Gaslight" investigation, which involved a series of arsons and extortion targeting South Asian home builders. The guilty plea marks a major development in the ongoing case, which has shocked the local community.
By Amen News
Blink
2025-08-14
5 min read
An 18-year-old man has admitted his involvement in a string of serious crimes, including arson, assault, and extortion, as part of the Edmonton Police Service's investigation known as "Project Gaslight." The young man, who was just 16 at the time of the crimes, pled guilty to multiple charges related to a series of incidents that terrorized the South Asian home-building community in Edmonton between fall 2023 and early 2024.
The crimes included arson at properties owned by local developers, extortion, and even drive-by shootings. One particularly chilling event took place on Nov. 29, 2023, when the youth, along with two other individuals, was captured on CCTV approaching a security guard hired to monitor one of the properties. Armed with a hammer, the young man smashed the security guardās car window, contributing to the growing terror surrounding the case.
The plea marks the third guilty party in the investigation, following Manav Singh Heer, 20, who admitted his role in similar crimes earlier in the year. However, the cases of two other individuals, Parminder Singh (21) and Gurkaran Singh (20), are still being processed in court.
The young man cannot be named due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, but his guilty plea signals a serious reckoning for those involved in the criminal network. The prosecution has proposed a sentence of three years in a correctional facility, with an additional two years of supervised release. This represents the maximum allowable under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The impact of these crimes has been deeply felt within Edmontonās South Asian community. Crown prosecutor Breena Smith described the offences as "terrorizing" to both the home-building industry and the community as a whole. Despite the severity of the charges, the youthās legal team argued against an adult sentence due to his age, noting the potential immigration consequences, including possible deportation, had he been tried as an adult.
With the sentencing date approaching, the case continues to stir concerns about safety and justice, especially within marginalized communities. The prosecutionās joint submission has sparked debate about how young offenders should be treated when involved in such serious criminal activity.
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