Two men sentenced to life in Ontario’s largest cocaine bust, linked to Sinaloa cartel

Two southern Ontario drug traffickers have been hit with life sentences after being convicted in the largest cocaine bust in Ontario history.

Vito Buffone, of Caledon, and Jeffrey Kompon, of Welland, were each sentenced to life in prison following an appeal decision this month. They were earlier convicted of running a sophisticated ring that moved two tonnes of cocaine into Ontario between 2011 and 2014. The Crown appealed the pair's initial lower sentences, imposed at a 2017 trial.

The massive drug-importation network was directed by Ontario-based members of the powerful Sinaloa cocaine cartel of Mexico

According to the Crown, it was the largest importation of cocaine ever prosecuted in Ontario.

Buffone and Kompon were each convicted of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking; trafficking cocaine; conspiracy to import and possess cocaine for the purpose of trafficking; and, committing offences in association with a criminal organization.

Kompon was also convicted of possessing proceeds of crime.

Buffone was originally sentenced on Sept. 28, 2017, by Justice James A. Ramsay of the Superior Court of Justice to 22 years' imprisonment, minus a year for pre-sentence custody and restrictive bail, while Kompon was originally sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, minus 18 months' credit for pre-sentence custody and restrictive bail.

This month's Ontario Court of Appeal decision comes after Kompon and Buffone appealed their convictions and the Crown appealed the sentences.

Their operation involved hiding cocaine inside large stone boulders that were imported from Mexico and later from Brazil.

The boulders were shipped to a warehouse near Port Colborne, Ont., where they were cracked open and the cocaine was extracted.

The cocaine, which was 93 per cent pure when it arrived in Canada, was then distributed to other criminal organizations.

The operation brought 2,431 kilograms of cocaine into Ontario in 2013 alone, at a time when local prices were roughly $36,000 to $39,500 per kilo.

Kompon, Buffone and 12 others were arrested in September 2014, when police officers from seven law enforcement agencies executed search warrants at approximately 30 locations in the Niagara Region and the GTA.

At the time, Det. Sgt. Shawn Clarkson of Niagara Regional Police said the case was the first time he has heard of Mexican cartel members operating inside Ontario.

Court heard that a massive amount of cocaine was smuggled by truck from the U.S. to the Niagara Region and by ship through the Port of Montreal.

Mexican nationals Raul Bulhosen, of Toronto, and Borja Vilalta-Castellanos, of Mississauga, were earlier sentenced to prison terms of 18 and 17 years for their roles in the operation.

Jaime Ortiz-Sieiro, of Mexico City, was earlier deported for misrepresentation of immigration officials.

At the time of the arrests, the Sinaloa cartel was headed by Joaquin (El Chapo) Guzman.

At the time of their original sentencing, Buffone and Kompon were 53 and 46 years old, respectively.

Buffone operated a warehouse that re-marketed damaged goods. He had earlier received fines for narcotics offences and possession of stolen property decades ago.

Kompon had an earlier conviction for drinking and driving.

The court of appeal noted that the sentencing judge failed to take into consideration that Buffone and Kompon committed the offences in association with a criminal organization.

They stood at the head of the sophisticated criminal organization which: had established trade routes and three large, remote commercial warehouses; used secure lines of communication and a fleet of company vehicles; employed meticulous record-keeping; and, drew from a reservoir of shell companies, false identities, and fraudulent documents to lend legitimacy to their operations," the appeals court noted.

They are eligible to apply for parole after serving one-third of their sentences.

The life sentences also mean they will be subject to the conditions of their parole or statutory release for the remainder of their lives.

Peter Edwards is a Toronto-based reporter primarily covering crime for the Star. Reach him via email: pedwards@thestar.ca