Judge rules southwestern Nova Scotia lobster dealer can be released on $50,000 bail

Eric David Thibault, 66, plans to live at rental property near Digby

A lobster dealer in southwestern Nova Scotia has been granted bail in Nova Scotia Supreme Court on a raft of charges laid by RCMP last year following a 13-month undercover investigation. Eric David Thibault, 66, of Little Brook, Digby County has been in custody since November , when he was denied bail in Digby provincial court by Judge Claudine MacDonald. Defence lawyer Allan MacDonald applied for a bail review in Nova Scotia Supreme Court recently after earlier charges against Thibault were dealt with in provincial court .

Thibault was acquitted last month on charges of intimidating a lobster exporter and breaching release conditions. Two impaired driving charges were dismissed because police had violated Thibault’s charter rights. He pleaded guilty to a charge of assault with a weapon — a pickup truck — from an altercation with another driver in a parking lot at the Freshmart store in Comeauville, Digby County on Feb. 1, 2023.

He was sentenced last month to 30 days in jail, deemed served by his time on remand. In late May, a different judge dismissed three other intimidation cases against Thibault after the RCMP failed to subpoena witnesses. Thibault still faces 17 charges in provincial court from the undercover operation, including cocaine trafficking, arson, conspiracy, intimidation, counselling someone to commit a crime, dangerous driving, illegal fishing and breaching release conditions.

Those charges are due back in court Thursday for election and plea. On Tuesday, Thibault and his lawyer appeared in Supreme Court in Halifax for a bail review. Crown attorney Len MacKay opposed his release.

Justice James Chipman imposed a publication ban on the evidence and submissions he heard. The judge decided Thibault can be released on a $50,000 bail order with one surety and an 8 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew. Thibault will remain in custody until a rental property on Robinson Weir Road in Conway, near Digby, becomes available for him to move into.

That is expected to happen by the end of the month, perhaps sooner. Surety Reginald LeBlanc of Wedgeport, Yarmouth County agreed to pledge $25,000, while Thibault will post a cash deposit of $25,000. The bail order requires Thibault to remain in Nova Scotia and surrender his passport to the court.

He will be prohibited from having any firearms and possessing or consuming alcohol or drugs. The only vehicle he is allowed to drive is his 2006 Chevy truck. Chipman scheduled the case to return to court Friday to finalize the release plan.

He wants the prosecutor to provide a list of people Thibault should be banned from communicating with while he’s on bail. The judge did not give reasons Tuesday for his decision to grant Thibault bail but said he will endeavour to put them in writing for counsel before Friday’s appearance. The reasons will be covered by the publication ban.

Thibault was one of four men charged in the RCMP operation, which was called Project Hammertime. When police announced the arrests last November, they said Thibault was the leader of a crime ring in the Clare region. “These individuals, through their criminal activities and intimidation tactics, behaved like they owned Clare,” RCMP Supt.

Jason Popik said in a news release. “We recognize the disruption they’ve caused to the surrounding community and are pleased to be moving forward with these charges.”