Nova ScotiaA lobster dealer accused by RCMP of heading a crime group in southwest Nova Scotia has been denied bail on cocaine, intimidation and dangerous driving charges stemming from a months-long undercover operation.Eric David Thibault, 66, was arrested last week following undercover RCMP operationListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Eric David Thibault is escorted out of provincial court in Digby, N.S., on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Jonathan Villeneuve/Radio-Canada)A lobster dealer accused by RCMP of heading a crime group in southwest Nova Scotia has been denied bail on cocaine, intimidation and dangerous driving charges stemming from a months-long undercover operation.Judge Claudine MacDonald on Thursday ordered Eric David Thibault, 66, who was arrested last week, to be detained pending trial. Details of the bail hearing held in provincial court in Digby, N.S., are under a publication ban.Thibault is among four people charged following what RCMP said was a 13-month investigation. Last week, Sgt. Jeff LeBlanc confirmed in an interview that two intimidation charges laid as part of the larger investigation relate to an undercover officer.In one case, police said the officer was a passenger in Thibault’s Lamborghini. It’s alleged he was driving it dangerously, making the officer fear for her safety, and that he refused to slow down despite her repeated protests.Thibault’s defence lawyer, Allan MacDonald, said in an email this week that his client is presumed innocent, and the charges against him are merely allegations that he “eagerly awaits the opportunity to contest” in court.The courthouse in Digby, N.S., is shown in Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Jonathan Villeneuve/Radio-Canada)Thibault was already facing several intimidation charges, laid over the last two years, and which are linked to the lucrative lobster industry. None of the allegations have been tested in court, and some have been set for preliminary inquiry or trial.He will return to court Dec. 10 for the most recent charges.Police have said they launched their investigation in response to growing concerns of violence in the region of Clare. The charges laid have been welcomed by people in the community, including the local warden.Among the accused in the most recent case is Thibault’s son, Zacharie Thibault, 33, who is charged with extortion. Zacharie Thibault was also charged last year and earlier this year with threats, extortion and intimidation. He is currently on house arrest.MORE TOP STORIESABOUT THE AUTHORRichard Cuthbertson is a journalist with CBC Nova Scotia. He can be reached at richard.cuthbertson@cbc.ca.
N.S. lobster dealer accused of heading crime group denied bail
