Espionage suspect Cameron Ortis jailed

Cameron Ortis faces seven counts under provisions of Canada's secrecy laws. He was out on bail in Abbotsford but that ended when he was remanded into custody in November. Ortis is accused of trying to sell classified information. Among them is Vincent Ramos, who pleaded guilty to using his Phantom Secure devices to assist in the distribution of drugs around the globe. He was sentenced to 9 years in jail in May 2019.

The investigation into Ortis began as a result of an FBI probe into Ramos. The head of Canada’s spy agency was informed over two dozen times over six weeks this fall about a loss of security, an indication of the seriousness of the matter. The Ortis case created a concerted effort at the highest levels to address the concerns of Canada’s allies.

A search of one of Ramos’s encrypted devices revealed that Ortis had tried to sell information to him.

In December Ortis' lawyer cried about the slowness of releasing documents. "We're very disappointed with the pace of how this is proceeding," Ian Carter told reporters. RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki said that the allegations against Ortis had left many people shocked.