Two Montreal men plead not guilty in cross-Canada human trafficking trial

Two Montreal men accused of running a decade-long human trafficking network across Canada pleaded not guilty in Edmonton court Monday. Kevin Dorcleus-Cetoute, 33, and Jean Rodnil Dubois, 32, are each facing human trafficking charges as part of Project Endgame, a year-long investigation launched by Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) in May 2023.

The investigation began after a 911 call reported a sex worker being violently assaulted. ALERT's human trafficking unit found that the accused forced victims to "perform multiple sex acts on multiple clients every day." According to ALERT, "If the victims question the traffickers or dispute the situation, they were often violently assaulted, degraded, and/or threatened of further loss, violence, and isolation."

The network operated throughout B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Quebec for more than 10 years. Originally, the pair were charged with nearly 20 offences including trafficking in persons, assault, sexual assault, uttering threats, money laundering, and animal cruelty. Crown prosecutors have signalled they plan to withdraw the other charges if the two men are found guilty on the human trafficking counts.

At Monday's opening, lawyers did not present arguments or discuss evidence, and the judge noted uncertainty about whether standard trial procedure would be followed. The judge indicated she would review evidence independently. The parties are set to meet next week for a decision on procedure and potential sentencing. A third man arrested in Project Endgame remains in the case, though the status of charges against him has not been disclosed.