Alleged Cole Harbour human trafficker accused of repeatedly contacting complainant

A Cole Harbour man who got bail in a human trafficking case last April is back behind bars after allegedly communicating with one of the female complainants.

Fedul Antonio Cain, 50, was arrested late last week and charged with three counts each of intimidation of a justice system participant, obstructing justice by attempting to dissuade the woman from testifying, and breaching his bail conditions.

The RCMP’s provincial human trafficking unit alleges the offences were committed between Sept. 28 and Oct. 14 in Sydney, Elmsdale and Dartmouth.

The Crown opposed Cain’s release on the new charges and applied to revoke his bail on 13 charges laid last fall in the human trafficking investigation.

Cain was scheduled to seek his release Thursday, when he appeared in Halifax bail court in person with lawyer Patrick MacEwen, but instead consented to remain in custody.

“We’re still in the process of obtaining disclosure,” MacEwen told Judge Michael Sherar. “I understand there’s going to be a lot of disclosure in this matter.”

MacEwen got all of Cain’s charges put over until Oct. 27 in Dartmouth provincial court.

The judge ordered Cain to have no contact with the woman while he’s in custody.

The provincial human trafficking unit opened an investigation in 2023 involving multiple victims in Nova Scotia. As the investigation progressed, police identified connections to New Brunswick and Ontario. Forensic financial analysts determined more than $500,000 in suspected proceeds of crime had been funnelled through gambling at casinos in three provinces.

Cain and Marissa Church, 43, of Chester Basin were apprehended last April 10 during a traffic stop on Highway 102 near Milford.

Cain was charged with two counts each of human trafficking, receiving material benefit from human trafficking, procuring someone to provide sexual services for consideration, advertising sexual services, withholding or destroying documents belonging to another person and possession of property obtained by crime, and a single count of laundering the proceeds of crime.

Church faces two counts each of receiving material benefit from human trafficking, advertising sexual services for consideration, and possession of more than $5,000 in cash obtained by crime.

She was released by police on an undertaking but Cain was behind bars until April 20, when he was granted bail with the Crown’s consent.

Coulton Downey, 38, of Dartmouth was arrested June 3 and charged with human trafficking, receiving material benefit from human trafficking, procuring someone to provide sexual services for consideration, and possession of property obtained by crime.

Downey was released on an undertaking to a police officer.

The charges against the trio involve two complainants whose identities are protected by a publication ban. The offences were allegedly committed in Dartmouth between August 2018 and September 2023.

The human trafficking case was last in Dartmouth provincial court Oct. 14. It was adjourned until Nov. 10 to give Church and Downey time to find lawyers to represent them on certificates from Nova Scotia Legal Aid.