Four individuals implicated in a probe involving the manufacturing of explosives and firearms in London, Ontario, are now facing 19 additional charges, as per court records filed on Tuesday. Jerry Tong, Zekun (Alex) Wang, Fei (Frank) Han, and Feiyang (Astrid) Ji were initially charged in January, all having ties to Western University either as students or recent graduates, with the three men having backgrounds in the engineering faculty.
The updated set of charges brought before the Ontario Court of Justice now totals 31 separate counts, comprising joint accusations against all four and specific charges against individual suspects. The fresh allegations encompass the possession of five distinct explosive substances, holding stolen property, and accessing computer data linked to firearm production.
The investigation, which commenced on Jan. 24 following a trespassing incident at Western University involving two men entering an engineering building, led to the arrest of one individual outside the premises. Subsequently, the investigation led authorities to a residence in the University Heights neighborhood, where the other three suspects were apprehended.
Law enforcement conducted an extensive search at the residence on 212 Chesham Place, where Wang, Han, and Ji resided, along with two other properties in Orléans, a suburb of Ottawa, and Gatineau, Quebec.
Initially facing multiple firearms charges, including handgun manufacturing and possession of a loaded restricted handgun, Tong, Wang, and Ji now confront additional accusations, including possession of firearm magazines and suppression devices, as well as possession of another prohibited firearm. Tong and Wang are also charged with handling and carelessly storing a rifle.
Tong, facing the bulk of the charges, also has new allegations tied to incidents in other cities, such as storing rifles in a home in Orléans, manufacturing a prohibited firearm in Ottawa, and possessing a rifle at an unauthorized location in Quebec. Documents reveal that Tong possessed a firearms license, but some charges are related to possessing a firearm at an unlicensed site.
Wang now faces charges of manufacturing a weapon between September 1, 2025, and January 24, 2026, while both Wang and Tong are accused of breaking into a Western building on October 9, 2025.
The quartet is also confronted with a fresh set of charges related to the possession of explosive substances, including pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrophenol (DNP), hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), and lead azide. Originally charged with possessing precursor substances and completed high explosives, the group now faces an additional count of possessing Western University property valued at less than $5,000.
Wang is individually charged with accessing computer data relevant to firearms or prohibited devices, specifically design files usable with a 3D printer, metal milling machine, or similar system for producing a device.
As the legal proceedings continue, Tong remains in custody, while Han was denied bail and returned to custody in February. Wang was granted bail in March under stringent conditions, including 24-hour house arrest and constant supervision from two sureties, each posting $200,000. Ji is also out on bail without any sureties.
