A Master Warrent Officer based out of Petawawa is facing drug and human trafficking charges. According to the Department of National Defence, Master-Warrant Officer Jason Whalen was arrested on Canada Day. He has since been charged with one count of trafficking in persons, one count of threat to cause death or harm, one count of possession of a substance included in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and one count of possession for the purposes of trafficking. In a statement from DND, the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service continues its investigation, the matter is now proceeding through the civilian justice system.
National Defence emphasized that the charges had not been tested in court. Specific details of the allegations have not been released.
Whalen joined the Canadian Armed Forces in February 1998 and is a Material Management Technician with the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Petawawa.
Whalen has deployed to Afghanistan a number of times: from December 2001 to July 2002; from June to December 2005; and from February to October 2012. He has not had any other deployments, according to the National Defence statement.
Any further information about the military member is protected under the Privacy Act, the statement noted.
(Written by: Kyle Robinson)