On July 27, 2018, 38-year-old Kreshnik Ismailaj was arrested in Ontario in connection with the shooting death of 27-year-old Kevin LeClair on February 6, 2009 in Langley, B.C.
On September 26, 2019, Ismailaj pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to murder in B.C. Supreme Court.
This guilty plea comes 10 years after the homicide of Mr. LeClair and speaks to the determination of IHIT investigators and dedication of our partners, CFSEU-BC and the B.C. Prosecution Service, to see an investigation through to the end no matter how long it may take, says Superintendent Dave Chauhan, Officer-in-Charge of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
These partnerships are key to ensuring a successful conclusion to events that impact the safety of our citizens throughout the Lower Mainland from our specialized units to our frontline officers.
Kreshnik Ismailaj, along with a number of his fellow gang members, are responsible for an unprecedented level of gang violence in the history of British Columbia.
The hundreds of officers and support staff, from dozens of police agencies and units, working the associated investigations have remained determined and committed over the years to ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice, says Superintendent Paul Dadwal, CFSEU-BC Operations Officer.
With this latest conviction and sentencing, it should, yet again, send the message to individuals involved in organized crime-related violence that police will relentlessly pursue justice, regardless of how long it takes.