THUNDER BAY GUNRUNNERS ASHLEY MURLEY & TRISTAN ESSUE PLEAD GUILTY
SENTENCED TO 18 MONTHS JAIL, 6 MONTHS HOUSE ARREST & 18 MONTHS PROBATION
THUNDER BAY, CHAPLEAU, ONTARIO ~~~~~ December 16, 2022 (LSNews) A 31 year old ASHLEY LANE MURLEY & 20 year old TRISTAN ESSUE appeared before Superior Court Justice Cindy MacDonald in Timmins Superior Court on Monday November 21,2022 to plead guilty to gun charges and be sentenced as part of a plea deal with Provincial Crown Attorney Graham Jenner. Both individuals have no criminal record until today.
ASHLEY MURLEY PLEADS GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS:
-on or about the 28th day of November in the year 2021, at the Township of Wakami in the said region, did possess a firearm, to wit: a Glock 34 Gen4, 9 millimetre, serial number ABNL767, knowing that she was not the holder of a licence under which she may possess it, contrary to Section 92(1) of the Criminal Code.
-on or about the 28th day of November in the year 2021, at the Township of Wakami in the said region, did possess a restricted firearm, together with readily accessible ammunition capable of being discharged in the said firearm, and was not the holder of an authorization or licence under which she may possess a Glock model 19 Gen4, 9-millimetre, serial number ADGP111, contrary to Section 95(1) of the Criminal Code
TRISTAN ESSUE PLEADS GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS:
-on or about the 28th day of November in the year 2021, at the Township of Wakami in the said region, did possess a firearm, to wit: a Glock 34, Gen4, 9-millimetre, serial number ABNL767, knowing that he was not the holder of a licence under which he may possess it, contrary to Section 92(1)
-on or about the 28th day of November in the year 2021, at the Township of Wakami in the said region, did possess a restricted firearm, together with readily accessible ammunition capable of being discharged in the said firearm and was not the holder of an authorization or licence under which he may possess a Glock model 19, Gen4, 9-millimetre, serial number ADGP111, contrary to Section 95(1) of the Criminal Code
ADMITTED FACTS
On November 28th, 2021, at around 5 am, ASHLEY MURLEY was driving a blue Mitsubishi along the Sultan Industrial Road, which is a remote route in the north – in Northeastern Ontario that runs from an area south of Chapleau and bisects Route 144 between Timmins and Sudbury, when she lost control of the vehicle and flipped it on its side, resting upright on its driver’s side and leaning up against a tree.
TRISTAN ESSUE was a passenger in that vehicle. MURLEY & ESSUE were travelling from Thunder Bay to Toronto.
There was a black suitcase in the trunk of the vehicle.
Following the accident, MURLEY & ESSUE remained on-scene for 2.5 hours before obtaining a ride back to the Chapleau area. The black suitcase was left in the trunk of the vehicle. They checked into a motel at 10 a.m. in Chapleau.
Later that morning, at around 11:29, MURLEY called a tow truck operator to request that he assist with her vehicle which was rolled over on the Sultan Industrial Road, and tow it back to Thunder Bay. The tow truck operator advised the caller that they must first report the matter to police, which was the protocol. He advised that the insurance company would not pay to tow the vehicle all the way to Thunder Bay, and the vehicle would have to be towed back to his lot which was near Chapleau.
At 12:08pm, the OPP contacted the tow truck operator, who then travelled to the vehicle to assist. When the tow truck operator arrived on scene, he noted that the vehicle was rolled over on its driver’s side with windows broken out. He did a walk-around the vehicle before he started his recovery. He noted the back hatch was half open, kind of stuck against the tree, and then he proceeded to hook the vehicle up and flip it. And it was during the recovery operation that the black suitcase fell out of the vehicle and onto the ground.
OPP Constable Richardson picked up the bag and carried it to the road, and he noted that the suitcase was heavy for the size of the bag, opened it, and found a pillowcase containing objects which he believed to be handguns. He consulted his supervisor, OPP Sergeant Newman, and Sergeant Newman felt the weight of the bag and the contents with his hands, and he suspected it to be a handgun with a mount light and an extended magazine. Constable Richardson secured the bag and its contents, consulted with his supervisor, who advised him to photograph the contents, prove the weapons safe, and then secure them in the vault at the police detachment.
And the following handguns were found in that suitcase: a Glock model 19, Gen4, 9 millimetres with a mount light or a stream light; a Glock 34, Gen4, 9-millimetre; a Tara TM-9, 9-millimetre; an ISSC model M22, 22-calibre; and a silver handgun, 9-millimetre of unknown make. So, five handguns in total. Additionally, police recovered the following accessories: a Ziploc bag of loose 22-rounds, 11 pistol magazines, four pistol grips, two magazine accessories, and two boxes of 9-millimetre rounds containing 50 rounds each.
The following day, on November 29,2021, MURLEY contacted the tow truck operator and asked when he closed at, was advised 5 p.m., and then they told him they’d be there around 4 to 5 p.m. In the meantime, ESSUE had contacted a friend, a Mr. Hernandez, and arranged for Mr. Hernandez to drive ESSUE’S girlfriend’s vehicle up from London to pick them up. At about 4:56pm, OPP Officers Jodouin and Dubbin observed a silver high-end sedan depart the parking lot of the hotel where MURLEY and ESSUE had been staying. OPP followed the vehicle strategically and observed it entering the parking lot outside of the tow lot just after business hours. They activated their lights and detained the occupants of the sedan who were MURLEY, ESSUE, and the driver Mr. Hernandez.
MURLEY and ESSUE were arrested in relation to the seized firearms, and Mr. Hernandez was briefly detained but then – then released. Both were given rights to counsel and cautioned, and back at the detachment, where MURLEY did provide an interview.
MURLEY did claim that she did not know about the firearms in the suitcase but she did, however, indicate she knew whose belongings they were, and she explained the following. That there was a man in Thunder Bay she had been driving around, by the name of NATHAN MATTHEWS.
MATTHEWS was recently arrested, and his roommates gave her the suitcase. She had it in her car over a month and was supposed to bring it to Toronto. She didn’t know about the drugs until Matthews was arrested. She knew he was picked up for guns, those were her words. She identified MATTHEWS’ street name as POWER, and she acknowledged she should have checked what was in the suitcase. The roommate that gave her the luggage went by a street name of ACE, and she didn’t know his real name. She was supposed to bring the suitcase down to Toronto twice. They kept cancelling it and she did not know why. When she was told to bring the suitcase to Toronto, they didn’t give her an address. They usually just give her an address, and she drops it off, and tells them, and that’s it.
MURLEY was also travelling to Toronto to bring ESSUE to pick up Ace’s friends. MURLEY did not know their names. She usually does not get a name. She usually only gets addresses once she gets to Toronto. ESSUE had been dropped off at her house two days prior to the accident. They left Saturday, November 27th, 2021, at 8pm and they crashed around 5am.
MURLEY told police she’s given orders to pick people up in Toronto. It was a job. She didn’t ask questions. She was picking up and dropping off. She’d be paid in cash only. She usually receive up to $1500 before she makes a trip. This time, she was given $800 and was to be given the rest upon her return. She indicated she’d been working with MATTHEWS , or POWER, since February of 2021, and ACE since April. And when asked where she was bringing ESSUE she indicates, “I think to Toronto. That’s all I know.”
ESSUE’S interview was much briefer. He did confirm he was in the vehicle with MURLEY when they got in the accident. He denied meeting her before but knew of her. And when he was asked who ACE was, he didn’t deny an association but, rather, indicted he was a friend from London. MURLEY and ESSUE both knew that the black suitcase belonging to NATHAN MATTHEWS, or POWER, that had been provided to MURLEY by ACE, was in the vehicle they were travelling in and was being transported to Toronto at the request of MATTHEWS or his associates. Both were aware of the connection of those individuals and that suitcase, to potential drug trafficking and firearms offences.
BOTH MURLEY and ESSUE were reckless or wilfully blind as to the contents of the suitcase they possessed and were transporting.
JOINT SUBMISSION
Provincial Crown Attorney Graham Jenner & Defence Attorneys Michael Tomassini/ Ben Dawkins have a joint submission for Her Honour’s consideration.
It is proposed that each be sentenced to 18 months of jail time, followed by a 6 month Conditional Sentence Order (house arrest) plus 18 months’ probation.
MURLEY & ESSUE have been in custody a total of 358 actual days and that will be enhanced to 537 days. Both are first time offenders and MURLEY was very cooperative with the police. That is a mitigating factor on sentencing. Each had an additional ten days left to serve custody.
Upon release, MURLEY will return to Thunder Bay area and ESSUE to London area to serve their 6 months of house arrest with conditions.
MURLEY’S CONDITIONS:
- -reside with sister in Nipigon area
- -allowed out for medical emergency on herself or immediate family member
- -allowed outside daily between 5 and 6pm
- -allowed outside on Fridays only between 2 and 6pm
- -no weapons
- -no alcohol or drugs
- -allowed outside with permission of Sentence Supervisor
- -attend counselling as required
- -no contact with TRISTAN ESSUE, or Nathan Matthews AKA POWER or “ACE”
ESSUE’S CONDITIONS:
- -reside with girlfriend and child in London area
- -allowed out for medical emergency on herself or immediate family member
- -allowed outside daily between 2 and 3pm
- -allowed outside on Fridays only between 2 and 5pm
- -no weapons
- -no alcohol or drugs
- -allowed outside with permission of Sentence Supervisor
- -no contact with ASHLEY MURLEY, or Nathan Matthews AKA POWER or “ACE”
Her Honour, Justice MacDonald accepts the joint submission and sentences both MURLEY & ESSUE.
A DNA order will also be imposed, along with a 10 year weapon prohibition order. The victim fine surcharge of $400 each is waived by the court.
All firearms are forfeited to the goverment. ESSUE & MURLEY will receive all other property back.
Justice MacDonald tells both these criminals after sentencing them “ Mr. Essue, Miss Murley, again, I am not here to preach to you. You are just both so young, and I really hope that this ends up being, in a way, a positive experience for you, in the sense that this happened so early. There was so much potential for this to go way, way off the rails and become very, very bad for you in the long run. This can easily, now, just be put behind you. Start fresh. Do not look back, and you can do really great things, okay? Best of luck to you both”
INSIDE EDITION SOURCES INDICATE THAT MURLEY IS NOW IN THE THUNDER BAY AREA WITH HER NEW CRIMINAL RECORD, JUST LIKE HER MOM, TBLAZYWATCH DINING LADY FRAUDSTER KIM MURLEY
TBLAZYWATCH IS STILL REFUSING TO REPORT THIS TO THE PUBLIC. They like to help out their fraudster Dining Lady wherever they can
READ THE ORIGINAL INSIDE EDITION REPORTS BELOW
“THE COURT MUST SEND A STRONG MESSAGE” -Justice of the Peace Jean-Marie Blier

BAIL DENIED FOR DINING LADY’S DAUGHTER

#LSN_Crime #LSN_OPP #LSN_Drugs #LSN_TBayCourthouse
Below Please Rate and Share this story
To help us learn what is important to you
Real Thunder Bay Court House-Inside Edition

Citizen Journalist with over 30 years of experience observing court cases
Thunder Bay Courthouse Inside Edition was running for almost 7 years with no complaints or problems from the Courts.
Check out our Facebook page by clicking here
Send your Crime news tips to [email protected]
|
TBPSB website
The views expressed in this article are solely those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Lake Superior News / Lake Superior Media.