Accused killer, cocaine trafficker back in court

Accused killer and cocaine trafficking kingpin Nick Nero was back in a St. Catharines courtroom this morning facing additional charges of conspiracy to commit murder.

Nero was taken from his prison cell this morning and whisked into the back of the St. Catharines courthouse under extremely tight security. Nero’s already facing a slew of charges from first degree murder to cocaine trafficking in connection with other crimes.

Nero and his associate Frank Alessio were making an appearance in bail court today on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. Four others were also charged but were not scheduled for a bail hearing.

These conspiracy to commit murder charges are directly connected to an incident in Halton in January 2012. In that incident, an Oakville man told police someone shot out the back window of his car. They briefly closed the QEW and stopped a vehicle on Walkers Line. They arrested three Niagara Region men and charged them with firearms offences and attempted kidnapping.

Nick Nero was charged in 2012 in connection with the largest cocaine bust in Niagara region. Police discovered 110 kilograms worth $30 million dollars in a St. Catharines warehouse. Police seized jewellery, luxury vehicles
and a lot of cash.

That investigation was dubbed “project ink.” Months later, Nero was back in St. Catharines accused of directing a drug trafficking ring
from his prison cell. Alfonso Inclima, one of the men arrested this morning, is also an alleged trafficking associate of Nero’s.

“As a result of the evidence seized…were able to come up with other evidence that would suggest that Nero, Inclima and the four others were involved in a conspiracy not only to kidnap the male in Halton, but conspiracy to commit murder against this male and one other,” said Staff Sergeant Shawn Clarkson of Niagara Regional Police.

Last year Nick Nero, Martino Caputo and Robbie al Khalil were charged with the murder of Johnny Raposo. Raposo was killed while sitting in a café in Toronto’s Little Italy.

Meanwhile, the three Niagara men arrested in Halton back in 2012 were never convicted of attempted kidnapping. But all three — Frank Aceti, 39, Joshua Burnett, 37, and Chris Marrazzo, 38 — were all charged this morning with the more serious offense of conspiracy to commit murder.