An Off-Duty Officer, a Car That Rolled Into a Fence, and a Rifle in the Cabin: London Police Charge James Beretta, 29, With Seven Counts After Finding a Driver Unconscious With 254 Grams of Cocaine (Reported August 21, 2026)
This file is dated: the arrest was made on the evening of Thursday, August 20, 2026, and the charges were published on Friday, August 21. It reaches this site late and is carried with that stated. What makes it worth carrying is how the file opened — not on a warrant, not on an informant, but on a police officer who was off shift and happened to look twice at a parked car.
The London Police Service says an off-duty officer noticed a vehicle stopped on Florence Street near Kellogg Lane, in the city’s east end, at approximately 8 p.m. As he approached it, the vehicle began to move and struck a nearby fence.
Inside, the driver was unconscious behind the wheel. The officer called 9-1-1. On-duty officers and paramedics attended. The suspect was arrested without incident.
What Came Out of the Car
The search produced a combination that is the reason this sits on an organized crime beat rather than an impaired driving docket.
Police recovered 254 grams of suspected cocaine, which the force valued at $25,400. Alongside it were small plastic bags and a quantity of Canadian currency — the packaging-and-cash pairing that police routinely put before a court as evidence of distribution rather than personal use.
And there was a rifle, with a magazine, in the vehicle.
Seized on Florence Street
- 254 grams of suspected cocaine, valued by police at $25,400
- A rifle and a magazine
- Small plastic bags
- A quantity of Canadian currency
The Seven Counts
James Beretta, 29, of London faces the following charges as released by the London Police Service:
The Charge Sheet
- Occupy Motor Vehicle with Firearm
- Careless Storage of a Firearm, Weapon or Prohibited Device
- Possess Restricted or Prohibited Firearm Knowingly Not Holding a Licence and Registration Certificate
- Possession of a Prohibited or Restricted Weapon or Prohibited Device
- Possess Loaded or Unloaded Regulated Firearm
- Impaired Operation of a Conveyance
- Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking
Five of the seven are firearms counts. The wording of the licensing charge is the one that carries the most weight: it alleges possession of a restricted or prohibited firearm by a person who knew he did not hold the licence and registration certificate for it. That is not a paperwork lapse in the way the phrasing might suggest — it is the count Parliament wrote for someone carrying a gun he was never entitled to have.
Beretta was scheduled to appear in London court on Friday, August 21, 2026. The file carries occurrence number 26-83263 and was handled by the London Police Service’s Uniformed Division.
Thursday Evening Into Friday Court
Standing of This File
Date, stated plainly. The arrest was Thursday, August 20, 2026. The charges were published Friday, August 21, 2026. This file carries no development after that date.
What is verified. The name, age and city of the accused; the approximate time and the location on Florence Street near Kellogg Lane; that the officer who initiated the encounter was off duty; that the vehicle struck a fence as he approached; that the driver was found unconscious; that the arrest was made without incident; the full seizure list and the police-stated value of the cocaine; all seven charges as worded by the London Police Service; the scheduled August 21 court appearance; and occurrence number 26-83263.
What is missing. The make, type and calibre of the rifle, and whether it was loaded. The amount of Canadian currency seized. Why the driver was unconscious. The outcome of the August 21 court appearance and whether he was released or held. Whether the accused has any prior record or was bound by any order at the time. Where the cocaine came from and where it was going.
What is not claimed. That this seizure connects to any street group, trafficking network, outlaw motorcycle club or criminal organization. The London Police Service named none, and none is supplied here. The charges are allegations that have not been tested in court.
When this will be updated. On the outcome of the bail hearing, any additional charges, any identification of the firearm, or any police statement connecting the file to a wider network.
Primary Sources
- London Police Service general release: “Firearm and Cocaine Seized — 26-83263” — 21 August 2026. Source for the seizure list, the seven charges as worded, the occurrence number and the Uniformed Division attribution.
- CTV News London, Kate Otterbein reporting desk: “London man charged after police find cocaine, rifle in vehicle” — published 21 August 2026, 17:03 Eastern, updated 22 August. Source for the off-duty officer, the approximate 8 p.m. timing, the Florence Street and Kellogg Lane location, the vehicle striking the fence, the unconscious driver, the 9-1-1 call, the $25,400 valuation and the scheduled court appearance.