EMBRUN – Ontario Provincial Police have charged an Embrun man following a historical sexual assault investigation involving two victims. The allegations date back more than a decade, prompting Russell County OPP to launch a formal investigation in September 2025 after receiving reports of incidents said to have taken place between 2005 and 2011 in Embrun and surrounding communities.

Following months of investigative work, police arrested 82-year-old Maurice Lemieux of Embrun. OPP say the charges stem from offences involving individuals who were under the age of 16 at the time. Investigators reviewed historical records, conducted interviews and gathered evidence related to the allegations before laying multiple charges under the Criminal Code.

Lemieux now faces three counts of sexual interference, two counts of sexual exploitation, two counts of sexual assault on a person under 16, and one count of invitation to sexual touching under 16. He was released following a bail hearing before a Justice of the Peace and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in L’Orignal on January 7, 2026. Police say the investigation is ongoing and encourage anyone with additional information to come forward.

Ottawa OPP have laid a long list of charges against a 41-year-old Almonte woman and a 41-year-old Mississippi Mills man after a routine traffic stop for a stolen licence plate turned into a much larger investigation. Shortly before noon on November 27, officers initiated the stop after an Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) alert flagged the vehicle for a stolen plate. What began as a standard roadside check quickly escalated, as officers learned the pair inside the vehicle were under legal conditions that prohibited them from being together. As the investigation deepened, police discovered the male passenger was wanted on multiple outstanding arrest warrants.

Once the vehicle and its occupants were searched, officers seized quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine. Police say the discovery reinforces the ongoing challenges frontline officers face, where a simple stolen plate notification can uncover a broader pattern of criminal activity. According to the OPP, both individuals were taken into custody without incident as officers sorted through the combination of violated conditions, active warrants and suspected drugs found at the scene. The incident highlights the continued importance of ALPR technology, which officers say has become a crucial tool for locating stolen property and identifying high-risk drivers and vehicles moving through the region.

The accused face an extensive list of charges, including possession of a Schedule I substance (opioid other than heroin), possession of cocaine, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, obstructing a peace officer, failing to comply with probation and failing to comply with a release order. Both were held in custody pending a bail hearing. Police say the investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges have not been ruled out as officers continue reviewing evidence gathered during the stop.