3 charged in $1.1M illegal cannabis bust: OPP

Project Diagonal was launched in 2024

Published May 26, 2026  •  2 minute read

These illegal cannabis products are among the $1.1 million worth of cannabis and products seized by OPP. Photo by HANDOUT /OPP

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Three people face multiple charges following an Ontario Provincial Police-led investigation into the online sale and distribution of illegal cannabis in the Niagara Region and across Canada.

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The OPP says Project Diagonal, which began in 2024, led to the seizure of approximately $1.1 million in illegal cannabis and cannabis products.

The probe focused on an illegal online cannabis dispensary operating under the names Harmonized Hemp and CannaTrust.

Investigators from the Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJFCET) determined the dispensary was allegedly offering same-day delivery within the Niagara Region and shipped illegal cannabis products through courier services to other areas across Canada.

On May 5 and May 6, search warrants were executed at six locations in Niagara Region and Hamilton, as well as on five vehicles. Officers seized illegal cannabis and cannabis products as well as 770 grams of psilocybin and about $13,000 in Canadian currency.

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Some of the illegal cannabis products seized by the OPP (OPP) Photo by OPP

Those charged and their offences

Jason Muscat-Tyler, 32, of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., Sean Paul-Farr, 31 of Hamilton, and Michelle Dolbeck, 37, of St. Catharines, Ont., were all charged with possession of property obtained by crime, possession of illicit cannabis, possession for the purpose of distributing, and possession for the purpose of selling.

Paul-Farr and Dolbeck also face a charge each of possession for the purpose of trafficking – psilocybin.

“Illegal online cannabis sales are a priority for law enforcement, as unregulated products continue to surface in communities across Ontario,” OPP Chief Superintendent Mike Stoddart said in a statement. “Unregulated products pose risks to public safety, and the profits generated are often used to fund other criminal activities, including drug trafficking, firearms offences and human trafficking. The OPP remains committed to identifying and investigating illegal cannabis operations and protecting public safety.”

Anyone with information regarding the illegal sale or production of cannabis should contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

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