Esquimalt man charged with money laundering after Saanich gaming house probe
Bryan William Toth, 55, faces three charges after a 2024 raid that led to 14 arrests and the seizure of three luxury vehicles.
A 55-year-old Esquimalt man has been charged with money laundering and other offences following a police investigation into an illegal gambling operation in Saanich on Vancouver Island.
Bryan William Toth faces charges of keeping a common gaming house, possession of proceeds of crime and money laundering, according to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C. (CFSEU-BC). The BC Prosecution Service approved the charges on Nov. 21, 2025. Toth turned himself in and was released on conditions until his next court appearance.
Investigation began in 2024
The unit's Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team began looking into a suspected gaming house in the Saanich area in January 2024. Police said they gathered substantial evidence that several people were involved in running it.
In August 2024, officers served search warrants at several locations in Saanich and Victoria and arrested 14 people. The Saanich and Victoria police departments assisted.
Police said they seized two poker tables, several thousand poker chips, electronic devices, ledgers, tax records and about $17,000 in cash. Later warrants targeted three vehicles, a 2024 Cadillac Lyriq, a 2020 Land Rover and a 2014 Mercedes SL550, which were seized as alleged proceeds of crime.
Police have not said whether Toth was among the 14 people arrested in August 2024. The charges against him have not been proven in court.
CFSEU-BC spokesperson Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha said the results show the unit's "unwavering commitment to disrupting criminal enterprises operating in British Columbia."
The case is one of several illegal gaming investigations led by the anti-gang unit. Earlier in November 2025, it announced fraud charges against two Metro Vancouver residents over about $45,000 allegedly obtained through transactions at Lower Mainland casinos.