Father and son face charges in southwest N.S. lobster-buying intimidation case

A Lamborghini-driving lobster dealer in southwest Nova Scotia and his son have been charged with intimidating a buyer whose home was shot up last weekend, the latest in a number of allegations against the father related to threats and intimidation.

Eric David Thibault, 65, and his son, Zacharie David Thibault, 32, were in custody and appeared briefly Friday in provincial court in Yarmouth, N.S. They were scheduled to return Monday.

The charges stem from an alleged encounter two days ago with Geoffrey Jobert, a lobster buyer near Meteghan, N.S. His home was shot at overnight Saturday, an attack he believed was linked to organized criminals involved in purchasing illegally caught lobster.

The charges against the Thibaults don't relate to the shooting, but are instead connected to an incident Wednesday afternoon where, according to RCMP and court records, the two men are accused of approaching Jobert near his home and threatening him.

The charges come amid rising concerns about a series of arsons, threats and intimidation in the last couple of years. Some of the crimes, although not all, appear to be related to the lobster fishery, whose commercial season opened earlier this week.

In September, provincial Fisheries Minister Kent Smith said organized crime was "terrorizing" communities in the area, and blamed the federal government for failing to stop what he called illegal out-of-season fishing. 

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has pushed back, pointing to trap, vehicle and lobster seizures, along with arrests.

A Crown prosecutor indicated Friday he will seek to have Eric Thibault's bail revoked on earlier charges that are still pending in the court system.

Records show he was charged with intimidation last December, accused of threatening a lobster fisherman who was seeking to change buyers. A month later, he was charged with three counts of witness intimidation involving two people at the harbour in Meteghan.

Zacharie Thibault had been in custody for more than two months on unrelated charges, but was released Tuesday after pleading guilty and being sentenced to time-served and probation for a number of offences, including dangerous driving, mischief and uttering threats.

On top of Wednesday's allegations, he was also charged Thursday with threatening to kill Jobert earlier this year, trying to extort him in July, intimidating him into not buying lobster from a certain fisherman and harassing him.

Weekend shooting

Jobert, owner of the family-run Lobster Hub Inc., told The Canadian Press in an interview before Wednesday's incident that he started receiving threats after he began buying lobster last season from licensed harvesters no longer willing to provide their catch to facilities allegedly purchasing illegally caught lobster.

He didn't hear the gunfire last weekend outside his home in the village of Mavillette, but woke up Sunday to find bullet damage, including a hole in the living room sofa. Nobody was injured.

Eric Thibault, who often goes by his initials E.T., has long been involved in the lobster industry, and is known to love fast cars. A search of the Personal Property Registry shows he has a 2023 Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica.

He also cited fast cars, along with gambling and drug and alcohol addictions, as contributing to his 2005 bankruptcy related to $1 million in unpaid income taxes and interest he owed to the Canada Revenue Agency.

In the bankruptcy records, his own accountant wrote in 2011 that Thibault had "trouble conforming to rules and regulations," and although he had made a lot of money, "he has pissed it all away."

RCMP Supt. Jason Popik said earlier this week he is trying to get more officers stationed at the detachment in Meteghan, adding that officers from the adjacent regions of Yarmouth and Digby are doing extended patrols in the area.

He said organized crime is trying to exploit the lucrative lobster fishery. When the communities "stand up to thuggery or bullies," criminals will try to push back to retain their power.

"I think we're seeing some of it because some people are standing up and saying, 'I'm not going to stand for that,'" he told CBC Radio's Mainstreet. "So then there's that reciprocal use of force against them to say, 'Get back in line.'

"The RCMP is committed to conducting the investigation and holding people responsible so we can assist the community and [get] back to that place of safety. And it's safety in person, but also safety in mind, safety in perspective."