All accusations against one of the four individuals charged with possession of explosives and the production of firearms have been dropped in a peculiar case that involved an alleged intrusion at Western University followed by an extensive search of a nearby property.
Feiyang (Astrid) Ji, a resident of London, had all 11 charges against her dismissed after appearing in court earlier this week, as confirmed by defense attorney Nicola Circelli in a statement to CBC News. Ji was held at the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre for two months before being granted bail in March.
The group, consisting of Ji, Jerry Tong, Zekun (Alex) Wang, and Fei (Frank) Han, were all charged in January. While Ji had her charges dropped, Tong, Wang, and Han, who were either students or recent graduates of Western University, are still facing legal proceedings, particularly in the engineering department.
The investigation, which began on January 24 following an unauthorized entry at Western University, resulted in the arrest of one individual near the engineering buildings of the institution. Subsequently, police apprehended the other three individuals at a residence in the University Heights neighborhood.
Law enforcement conducted a thorough search of the property at 212 Chesham Place, where Wang, Han, and Ji resided, along with two additional homes in Orléans, a suburb of Ottawa, and Gatineau, Quebec.
Initial charges against the group included various firearms offenses such as the manufacturing of a handgun and possession of a loaded restricted handgun. Additional charges were issued in August against Tong, Wang, and Ji, encompassing possession of magazines and suppression devices, as well as another prohibited firearm.
Tong is facing the majority of the charges, including those laid in August in Orleans, Ottawa, and a Quebec location. Wang, on the other hand, was charged with manufacturing a weapon between September 1, 2025, and January 24, 2026, while both Tong and Wang were accused of breaking into a Western building on October 9, 2025.
The chemicals mentioned in court documents allegedly possessed by the trio include pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrophenol (DNP), hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), and lead azide.
Tong opted not to request bail and remains in custody, while Han was denied bail and returned to custody in February. Wang, however, is currently out on bail.