Neighbours shocked after dad and son charged with manufacturing and smuggling guns

Jack Sutton · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 17, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

Residents of a suburban cul-de-sac successful eastbound London accidental they were shocked erstwhile heavily-armed constabulary officers successful tactical cogwheel descended connected their quiescent thoroughfare and aboriginal laid cause manufacturing and smuggling charges against a begetter and lad who had lived connected the thoroughfare for years. 

The constabulary raid happened May 29 connected Fundy Avenue, with an "intense and sudden" constabulary beingness earlier dawn that ended with constabulary seizing home-made guns, firearms parts, a 3D printer and an assortment of drugs.   

"It happened precise aboriginal successful the morning," neighbour Alex Raemisch said. "We saw the lights, sirens, and tons of activity."

The tiny ellipse of houses is simply a tight-knit community, according to different neighbour Rachel Chew. There's a communal hoops nett for the kids connected the street, and the neighbours person store income and barbecues together, she added. 

"This spot is simply a beauteous spot successful the evenings and connected weekends," she said. 

The astonishment raid included tactical officers and constabulary dogs swarming the tiny bungalow astatine astir 5 a.m., neighbours said. 

Benito Schiavone, 33, and his father, Modesto Dino Schiavone, 57, are present facing charges related to smuggling and manufacturing prohibited weapons and devices. They volition besides beryllium charged with cause possession erstwhile they look successful court, officials said. 

When CBC News knocked connected the accused men's door, the older Schiavone answered but declined to speak. He returned location the aforesaid time helium and his lad were arrested, according to neighbours.

The 2 men were seldom seen by neighbours, and the location belonged to different household member, Chew said, adding she was aggravated that amerciable enactment could person been happening adjacent door.

"You don't cognize what that mightiness bring," she said. "This is our small hub…and I deliberation that that's conscionable benignant of an insult to what we're trying to physique together." 

The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) worked with the London constabulary to analyse the 2 men and to behaviour the raid. The 2 men were initially flagged successful October 2024 erstwhile packages containing a silencer and a 50-round mag were intercepted astatine a message processing installation successful Mississauga, officials said. 

While the raid came arsenic a daze to the neighbours, akin searches hap astir six times a twelvemonth successful suburban homes, said Abid Morgan, the manager of the CBSA's Ontario firearm smuggling enforcement team. 

"It's conscionable your mean vicinity wherever we spot a batch of this benignant of firearms manufacturing taking place, particularly utilizing 3D printers," helium explained. "From clip to time, narcotics are seized arsenic well." 

Starting successful 2019, CBSA began to spot 3D-printed weapons look regularly, Morgan said, adding that arsenic the printing exertion advances and is capable to marque progressively susceptible weapons, it's becoming reasonably commonplace. 

While the nonstop fig of firearms seized during the Fundy Avenue raid is unknown, it was connected the "upper extremity of average," Morgan said. The items seized included:

• privately manufactured firearms
• firearm parts
• a 3D printer
• 35 g cocaine
• 24.5 g carfentanil
• oxycodone and boric acid

The accused are scheduled to look successful London tribunal successful July, facing 8 counts each of unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm, 4 counts each of smuggling prohibited devices, 4 counts each of unauthorized importation of a prohibited device, and 2 counts each of manufacturing a prohibited firearm.