Newfoundland and Labrador: Butler sentenced to 7 years in Project Blowfish

Tyler Butler has been sentenced to seven years in custody and fined $819,250 in the Project Blowfish case, the RCMP said. The Newfoundland and Labrador investigation led to a large seizure of cocaine, illicit cannabis, cash, firearms, body armour and vehicles in May 2019.

Butler was sentenced on Nov. 6, 2026. Charges against him had been announced in March 2020, including 10 under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, three under the Cannabis Control Act and nine under the Criminal Code. They included proceeds of crime and money laundering offences.

In February 2026, Butler was convicted of possession for the purpose of trafficking in cocaine, oxycodone and methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA), as well as possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling. He was also convicted of careless storage of a firearm, laundering proceeds of crime and possessing property obtained by crime over $5,000.

Police said the fine was imposed in lieu of forfeiture for items they could not seize or recover. All items seized in Project Blowfish were forfeited. Butler also received a firearms prohibition and a DNA order, under which his profile will be stored in the National DNA Data Bank.

The RCMP said a fine in lieu of forfeiture can be ordered when money or property obtained through criminal activity cannot be seized or recovered. The offender is ordered to pay an equivalent amount. In Butler's case, the fine represents the value of the proceeds of crime, police said.

Butler's co-accused, Hyeyoung Jeon and Manja Chu, previously pleaded guilty to charges connected to Project Blowfish, according to the RCMP.