Published Nov 26, 2025Last updated 1 hour ago7 minute readLooking onto the fishing wharf in Meteghan in the Municipality of Clare. TINA COMEAUArticle contentFollowing the laying of charges against four men who the RCMP claim have been operating as a ‘crime group’ in southwestern Nova Scotia, Sgt. Jeff LeBlanc of the Meteghan RCMP detachment says beyond convictions, he strongly hopes for something else.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content“At the end of the day, all I want is to see Clare go back to what it used to be,” says LeBlanc.Article contentArticle contentAnd what is that, he’s asked?Article contentArticle content“A peaceful place to live and to grow, and to not live in fear,” he says.Article contentThis hasn’t been the case in recent years in this Digby County Acadian community, where everyone has been talking about crimes that have been occurring, but they wouldn’t talk to the RCMP over fear that doing so would make them targets of criminal retaliation.Article content“We know that in the recent past, people were hesitant to come forward who were victims because they were fearful they would become a victim again, that they’d be targeted again,” LeBlanc says, hoping people can now breathe easier.Article contentIn a Nov. 20 RCMP media release – that came a day after an RCMP town hall meeting in Saulnierville – it was announced that following a 13-month investigation, slugged Project Hammertime, that the Southwest Nova Street Crime Enforcement Unit had arrested four people who the RCMP allege have been engaged in drug trafficking, arson, threats and intimidation in the Clare region.Article contentArticle contentOne name in particular did not come as a surprise to the people of Clare, who commonly refer to him as E.T.Article contentArticle contentEric David Thibault, 66, of Church Point, is facing numerous charges that include:Article content• Conspiracy to traffic cocaineArticle content• Possession for the purpose of trafficking (Cocaine)Article content• Trafficking cocaine (two counts)Article content• Arson for a fraudulent purposeArticle content• Intimidation (two counts)Article content• Counselling to commit drug traffickingArticle content• Dangerous driving (two counts)Article content• Breach of release order (two counts)Article contentThrough Fisheries and Oceans Canada, he is also facing Fisheries Act charges. Those charges speak to illegally possessing and illegally fishing lobster.Article content Traveling through Saulnierville in the Municipality of Clare. TINA COMEAUArticle contentAlso facing charges is Dean Joseph Stuart, 55, of Church Point. His charges include:Article content• Conspiracy to traffic cocaineArticle content• Trafficking cocaineArticle content• Possession for the purpose of trafficking (Cocaine)Article content• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (Tusi)Article content• Unauthorized possession of a firearmArticle content• Possession of a Firearm Knowing it’s unauthorizedArticle content• Possession of Property Obtained by CrimeArticle contentSixty-year-old Raymond Arthur Scott of Meteghan has been charged with arson and conspiracy to commit arson.Article contentAnd 33-year-old Zacharie Thibault of Church Point (Eric Thibault’s son) is charged with intimidation and extortion.Article contentThe men were arrested on Nov. 19 when the RCMP executed search warrants at multiple locations in Church Point and one residence in Belliveau Cove. The RCMP say during the searches, investigators seized a quantity of drugs and cash, drug paraphernalia, digital scales, electronic devices, a firearm, and financial documents.Article content“These individuals, through their criminal activities and intimidation tactics, behaved like they owned Clare,” says Superintendent Jason Popik, District Policing Officer with Southwest Nova District RCMP. “We recognize the disruption they’ve caused to the surrounding community and are pleased to be moving forward with these charges.”Article contentArticle contentA HUGE INVESTIGATIVE EFFORTArticle contentSgt. LeBlanc says he’s never been involved in an investigation of this scope and size before.Article content“I can say in my 20-year career that this is the largest operation that I’ve been involved with, and that I probably will be involved with. I’m very proud of it,” he says.Article content Sgt. Jeff LeBlanc of the Meteghan RCMP detachment. TINA COMEAUArticle contentIn recent years, it’s been described that the people of Clare have felt uneasy, even terrorized, by the level and type of crime that has been happening. It’s been suggested, including by law enforcement, that a lot of the illegal activity has been tied to illegal activity in the lobster industry.Article contentSeveral enforcement agencies are involved in Project Hammertime. In addition to the Southwest Nova Street Crime Enforcement Unit, the ongoing investigation is supported by the Meteghan RCMP Detachment, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, the Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Forensic Accounting Management Group, Canada Revenue Agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Criminal Intelligence Service Nova Scotia, and the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.Article contentArticle contentIn the past couple of years there have been countless media releases from the RCMP announcing investigations and seeking information on suspicious acts in Clare, ranging from arsons to shots being fired at properties. Even the RCMP was a target of crime, with one of its cruisers destroyed by fire while being serviced at a local service station. The investigation deemed it to be arson, but the crime remains unsolved.Article contentMany investigations associated with the rash of crime in Clare are ongoing, and not all investigations have resulted in charges.Article contentBut within the community, the name E.T. always seemed to stand out.Article contentFollowing the recent charges, Yarmouth lawyer Phil Star, who represents Eric Thibault, told the Chronicle Herald newsroom that his client denies being the head of an organized crime family, and he denies the charges against him.Article contentThe RCMP’s investigation, meanwhile, continues.Article content“Meteghan RCMP believe that there are individuals who may have supporting evidence for this ongoing investigation,” the RCMP said in its Nov. 19 media release. “Anyone with information is encouraged to come forward.”Article contentSays LeBlanc, “We will investigate to the fullest every and all accusations that are brought forward to us of alleged crimes.”Article content Driving along a stretch through the Municipality of Clare. TINA COMEAUArticle contentAsked if there was a tipping point to the criminal activity happening in Clare that forced the formation of the investigative unit, LeBlanc says this.Article content“The tipping was my request to my management team, saying that I needed these resources. I needed an investigative team in place and put together to learn and to have solid charges, once and for all,” he says.Article contentBecause the RCMP are not experts in lobster, he says, he asked for a joint investigation to include the departments of fisheries and natural resources.Article contentArticle contentAnother thing that weighed heavily was mounting community frustration.Article content“And rightfully so. People are frustrated with the police, that nothing or not enough is being done,” he says. “All along, I knew that we had a group of investigators put together, trying to learn and to combat this criminal organization and their reckless behaviour. I couldn’t tell (the public) that because it would diminish our operation to nil, to nothing, and we wouldn’t have any success.”Article contentHe says past charges that have also been laid seemed to decrease the level of violence and crime this past summer compared to the summer before.Article content“We didn’t have a whole lot of those same activities that were happening prior to,” he says. “I do believe it’s because of my officers and myself going out there every day, checking on these individuals.”Article contentArticle contentMORE RESOURCESArticle contentIn January 2025, the Meteghan detachment presented a request to Clare municipal council for additional resources at a special council meeting following a review of its resources and workload. The detachment said it needed more officers beyond the seven it had to keep up with its day-to-day general service needs.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentThere were members of the public present during that RCMP presentation, including Eric Thibault, which likely accounts for why there were no questions from the public that night about the rash of crimes the municipality was experiencing.Article contentRegarding the more recent Nov. 19 RCMP town hall meeting in Clare, LeBlanc says, “I know that people didn’t go to this town hall meeting because they were fearful of exactly that, him or others would be in the room, and there would be fear of retaliation. I was very pleased with the outcome. I would say it was well north of 100 folks that showed up.”Article contentCharges of intimidation are part of the most recent charges that have been filed in Digby provincial court.Article content“If you look at the information that was sworn in, one of the intimidations is against one of our officers – a police officer who was undercover in the organization and was being intimidated and put in danger,” says LeBlanc.Article contentWhile the allegations laid out in all of the charges will have to be proven in court, LeBlanc feels the charges are solid.Article content“We’re not looking at the public being put on the stand. It’s officers that actually witnessed these crimes,” he says. “We feel more than confident that we will succeed in court.”Article contentHe was also hoping that the accused would remain in remand custody until their trials.Article contentLeBlanc says that the additional officers the detachment received helped with this and other enforcement and investigations.Article content“The additional officers were crucial in these arrests and breaches that we were continuously doing during the spring and summer. Keeping the crime at bay,” he says. “We not only had this organized crime unit investigation going, but we executed several drug warrants within the community, charging many that were trafficking all kinds of drugs, cigarettes … and are not involved in organized crime groups. We did a lot of work this year.”Article contentArticle contentArticle content
RCMP hopes recent arrests will help people of Clare ‘to not live in fear’
