Two killers among six people charged with weapons, drug-trafficking offences after house raided

Two men previously convicted of separate slayings were among the six people arrested last week in a drug trafficking raid on Burrows Avenue that turned up a trove of firearms.

Winnipeg Police Service officers began investigating allegations two individuals were drug trafficking from the William Whyte neighbourhood home earlier this month.

Last Wednesday evening, investigators executed warrants at the home on the 400 block of Burrows Avenue. Six people were inside, and officers found three sawed-off rifles and a sawed-off shotgun.

Police also seized ammunition, brass knuckles, scales, a mirror with what appeared to be lines of cocaine on it, drug packaging and paraphernalia, an e-bike and about $735 in cash.

Edward Arthur Coutu, 41, has been charged with a lengthy list of firearms offences, as well as possession of the proceeds of crime and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He was held in custody.

Coutu pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2016 for his role in the fatal shooting of Jordan Dennis Houle, 24, on Maryland Street in September 2012, court records show.

He was sentenced to seven years, less time served — amounting to a year of additional jail — plus 18 months of supervised probation.

Joshua Zedidiah Parisian, 38, was similarly charged with gun and drug offences and held by police.

He was found guilty in 2016 of manslaughter in a fatal stabbing of a 34-year-old man at a home in Opaskwayak Cree Nation in May 2014, records show. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison, later reduced to 11 years by the Court of Appeal, less time served.

Tamara Faye Matwayashing, 40, was charged with gun and drug offences, obstruction of justice and several counts of breaching a bail order and held by police.

A 41-year-old man, a 69-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman also face gun and drug charges but were released on undertakings.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca