Ontario Home Builder

A 20‑year‑old man has admitted to participating in a violent criminal network that targeted South Asian homebuilders in Edmonton with arson, shootings, and extortion. Manav Singh Heer entered guilty pleas to charges including arson, conspiracy to commit extortion, extortion, use of an imitation firearm, and dangerous driving. His convictions stem from Project Gaslight, a months‑long Edmonton Police investigation into dozens of arsons, threats, and shootings linked to the Brothers Keepers gang between late 2023 and early 2024. Investigators say the crime spree aimed to force developers to hand over large sums of money. Victims were threatened with having their homes burned, relatives harmed, or shots fired at their properties. In multiple cases, several houses were set ablaze in a single night, with photos or videos of the destruction sent directly to the targets. Police evidence against Heer included intercepted communications, surveillance footage, recorded jailhouse calls, and data pulled from his cellphone. Chats between Heer and other members showed discussions about creating larger “arson teams,” acquiring firearms, and identifying more developers to target. His phone also contained lists of addresses linked to victims, online searches for their properties, and even queries about potential prison time for arson. The alleged mastermind, Maninder Singh Dhaliwal, is accused of directing the extortion scheme from Dubai under the alias “Batman.” Canada has requested his extradition from the United Arab Emirates. Several other accused remain before the courts.