A former senior animal cruelty officer at the Toronto Humane Society (THS) is facing a slew of additional charges in connection with the alleged operation of an unlicensed security guard services business.
On Wednesday, April 28, officers from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) executed a search warrant in Toronto seizing several documents, financial records, uniforms and equipment related to Trevor (Tre) Smith's business, Protective Security Consultants.Smith, 39, of Thornhill, and Protective Security Consultants has been charged with operating a business entity without a license under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act. He has also been charged under this legislation with acting as an unlicensed security guard. Smith and his company are further charged with engaging in the business of providing security guards, no agency license and holding out as an agency with no agency license under the Private Investigators and Security Guards Act. He is also charged with acting as a security guard without a license under this statute. Smith has a July 6 court date.The OPP investigation is currently ongoing and additional charges are pending against other individuals and an unlicensed business under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act.Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP's Det. Const. Greg Poulis at 416-326-0038.The new charges are reportedly not linked to a probe involving allegations of animal cruelty at the THS, which had its River Street shelter raided on Nov. 26, 2009. Earlier this year, Smith was arrested just days after the embattled organization reopened its River Street facility to animal adoptions.He was charged then with two counts of impersonating a peace officer and one count of perjury in connection with accusations he continued investigating animal cruelty cases at the shelter despite being suspended last June.Smith had signed an affidavit back in October citing he was complying with the suspension.-Joanna Lavoie