Four individuals involved in a probe into the manufacturing of explosives and firearms in London, Ontario, have been slapped with 19 additional charges, as per court records submitted 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 male suspects having backgrounds in the university’s engineering department.
The updated charges, filed at the Ontario Court of Justice, now bring the total number of charges to 31, encompassing both collective charges against all four individuals and charges specific to each accused. The fresh charges include the possession of five distinct explosive substances, possession of stolen property, and unauthorized access to computer data linked to firearm production.
The investigation, which commenced on January 24 after an incident of trespassing at Western University involving two men, led to the arrests of the accused. Subsequent investigations led law enforcement to a residence in the University Heights neighborhood where the remaining suspects were apprehended. Police conducted thorough searches at the residence on Chesham Place, London, where Wang, Han, and Ji resided, as well as at two additional properties in Orléans, Ottawa, and Gatineau, Quebec.
Initial arrests of the four suspects included numerous firearms charges, such as the manufacturing of a handgun and possession of a loaded restricted handgun. New charges have been added against Tong, Wang, and Ji, including possession of magazines and suppression devices, as well as possession of another prohibited firearm. Tong and Wang are additionally accused of handling and carelessly storing a rifle.
Tong, facing the bulk of the charges, is also implicated in events that transpired in other cities, including storing rifles in Orléans, manufacturing a prohibited firearm in Ottawa, and possessing a rifle at an unauthorized location in Quebec. It has been revealed through court documents that Tong possessed a firearms license, but some charges are related to possessing firearms at unlicensed locations.
Wang and Tong are also facing new charges related to events predating their arrests, with Wang charged with manufacturing a weapon between September 1, 2025, and January 24, 2026, and both accused of breaking into a Western building on October 9, 2025.
Court records disclose that Tong, Wang, Han, and Ji have been charged with possessing explosive substances, including pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrophenol (DNP), hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), and lead azide. The quartet was initially charged with possession of precursor substances and completed high explosives.
Furthermore, all four individuals now face a new charge of possessing property belonging to Western University valued at less than $5,000. Wang is individually charged with accessing computer data related to firearms or prohibited devices, specifically design files suitable for use with 3D printers or metal milling machines for manufacturing purposes.
The accused face varying numbers of charges: Tong with 28, Wang with 20, Han with 11, and Ji with 13. Legal proceedings are ongoing, with two of the accused out on bail while the other two remain in custody. Tong opted not to seek bail and remains detained, Han was denied bail in February and remanded into custody, while Wang was granted bail in March under stringent conditions, including 24-hour house arrest and supervision by two sureties, each posting $200,000. Ji is also out on bail without sureties.