CONTENT WARNING: The following narrative contains explicit remarks concerning a deceased woman’s body.
A veteran officer in Winnipeg is set to face incarceration after confessing on Friday to a series of charges involving misconduct, as well as other illicit and improper behaviors spanning several years.
Constable Elston Bostock, a member of the Winnipeg Police Service for over twenty years, acknowledged various offenses, which include quashing traffic tickets in exchange for alcohol and gift cards, pilfering marijuana from a police scene, divulging confidential police data, and sending sexually suggestive messages regarding a photo he took of a woman’s nearly nude body following a fatal overdose.
Following an extensive investigation known as Project Fibre, initiated in April 2024, he was charged with offenses such as breach of trust, obstruction of justice, theft under $5,000, and showing disrespect to human remains, to which he pleaded guilty.
The probe, which unearthed transgressions dating back to 2016, commenced after authorities received reports from confidential sources alleging that the accused had been associating with and supplying police information to non-police individuals involved in illegal activities, according to Crown attorney Ari Millo, who presented a 20-page agreed statement of facts at the Court of King’s Bench in Winnipeg on Friday.
While some of these accusations surfaced early on, others only came to light after Bostock’s personal cellphone was scrutinized subsequent to his arrest.
During the court proceedings, while clad in a gray crewneck sweatshirt and seated in the prisoner’s box, Bostock displayed varying emotions, including looking down and covering his face as the specifics of the charges he was admitting to were unveiled.
When asked by his lawyer, Richard Wolson, if he acknowledged guilt regarding the charges, Bostock responded affirmatively.
The guilty pleas were made before Justice Kenneth Champagne as part of an arrangement where Bostock’s legal team will request no less than a penitentiary term, and provincial prosecutors will cap their request at six years.
Additionally, Bostock is anticipated to plead guilty to other federal drug charges, for which the prosecution is expected to seek a consecutive one-year sentence, as per court statements.
The Winnipeg Police Service Chief Gene Bowers, as seen in a previous photo, mentioned in a statement that Bostock remains suspended without pay. (CBC)
In an official statement, Winnipeg Police Service Chief Gene Bowers affirmed that Bostock continues to be suspended without pay.
“Individuals displaying such behavior have no place within our organization, and we are taking necessary actions,” he stated regarding the disciplinary measures being undertaken.
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