IN-DEPTH: How Former Minister Tim Uppal’s Brother Avoided Trial Twice on Drug & Firearm Charges

This exclusive investigative report uncovers how a federal minister, a Department of Justice lawyer, and their family member charged with cocaine trafficking all listed the same residential address, raising serious concerns about judicial impartiality, prosecutorial decisions, and potential conflicts of interest at the highest levels of government.

CRIMINAL CHARGES OF 2014

On November 20, 2014, Edmonton police dismantled a dial-a-dope drug trafficking operation, charging four individuals—including Raymanpreet Singh Uppal, the brother of then-Minister of Multiculturalism Tim Uppal.

While mainstream media reported on the charges, they failed to uncover a critical detail: The residential address listed for Raymanpreet in court records is the same residential address listed by his brother Tim Uppal, their parents, and Tim’s wife, Kiran Bhinder—a lawyer for the Department of Justice and a former executive with the World Sikh Organization (WSO).

Raymanpreet was charged with: Trafficking cocaine, cannabis, and cannabis resin. Possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000 and a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace.

But just a year later, Crown prosecutors withdrew all charges against Raymanpreet and another Sikh co-accused—while securing convictions for the two white co-accused.

Perhaps that’s because the two white co-accused weren’t fortunate enough to share a residential address with a federal minister and a Department of Justice lawyer.

Edmonton police confirmed that drugs and firearms were seized in the investigation by raiding three properties on the south side and one vehicle.

Given that there were four accused, the question arises: Was the Ellerslie Road property—listed as Raymanpreet’s residential address—among the properties searched? Or was that address spared from a raid because it was also the listed address of then-Minister Tim Uppal, his parents, and his wife—who worked for the Department of Justice at the time?

CRIMINAL CHARGES OF 2008

Court records from 2009 reveal that Raymanpreet Singh Uppal was previously charged in 2008 with seven serious criminal offenses, including drug possession, firearm-related offenses, and fraudulent impersonation—charges that carried a potential 22-year prison sentence.

At the time, Tim Uppal was running to become an MP while listing the same residential address (Ellerslie Road) as Raymanpreet. Just two months after Uppal won the election, and despite the seriousness of these charges, Crown prosecutors dropped six of the seven charges and weakened the impersonation charge to public mischief, allowing Raymanpreet to walk free with a slap on the wrist.

These two cases raise the following critical questions regarding public institution integrity and corruption: Why did Crown prosecutors withdraw nearly identical drug and firearm charges against Raymanpreet Singh Uppal in both 2008 and 2014, while his co-accused were convicted?

Did Raymanpreet’s family connections—including his brother’s political position and his sister-in-law’s role in the Department of Justice—play a role in the Crown’s decision to drop the charges?

If an ordinary citizen faced these same charges, would they have been granted the same prosecutorial leniency, or does this case expose a double standard where political influence shields individuals from accountability?

DISOCVERY

The Ellerslie Road address exhibits a highly suspicious transactional history resembling hallmarks of mortgage fraud, money laundering, and undisclosed financial arrangements. 

Initially purchased by Hari Uppal for $400,000 in 2005, it was sold within eight months for $1.1M—a staggering $700K profit with no significant improvements—before being bought back for just $1 the following year.

Around this period, Tim Uppal, then a TD Bank mortgage broker, made his largest single political donation from this address ($4,500), while Raymanpreet Singh Uppal, who was later charged twice with drug and firearm offenses, continued listing it as his address.

Furthermore, Tim Uppal's wife Kiran Bhinder, a Department of Justice lawyer and World Sikh Organization executive, also listed this address on WSO documents, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest, influence over Crown prosecutorial decisions, and the financial dealings tied to this property.

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