Leader of gang called 'The Family' now serving 16½ years for drug and human trafficking

A Calgary drug lord who ran a 500-person criminal organization called "The Family" has been handed an additional 6½ years in prison for pimping-related offences on top of the 10-year sentence he's already serving for drug trafficking.

Last July, following a trial, Lawrence Orubor, 55, was found guilty of trafficking women for prostitution as well as assault.

Court of King's Bench Justice Blair Nixon said Orubor targeted two vulnerable, "isolated and homeless" women whom he prostituted. Both women were known to Orubor through their membership in The Family.

When one of the women lost money on two different occasions, Orubor assaulted her.

The sentencing decision was handed down Tuesday after prosecutor Vicki Faulkner and defence lawyer Tyson Dahlem made arguments earlier this year.

Until his arrest in 2020, Orubor lived in the suburbs with his family.

In November, Orubor was handed a 10-year sentence for drug trafficking connected to his role as the head of The Family.

The organized crime group, which had about 500 members, had been operating in Calgary for 40 years, according to an agreed statement of facts presented as part of Orubor's plea last year.

Addicted, homeless Calgarians targeted

The Family was known for selling mostly single doses of drugs to vulnerable, addicted, homeless Calgarians.

As part of the agreed facts document, Orubor admitted he instructed his drug runners to use violence to protect The Family's turf.

A police investigation called Operation Bloodline was launched after a Calgary Remand Centre employee contacted police about a phone number — which turned out to be Orubor's — that had been called by more than 1,000 inmates between 2015 and 2020.

Some of the inmates openly acknowledged their affiliation with The Family on those calls.

30-year criminal history 

The Calgary Police Service tracked the phone number to Orubor's home.

Investigators set up surveillance and wiretaps, which revealed Orubor's leadership role in the 40-year criminal organization.

Police identified dozens of drug addicted and often homeless "runners" who controlled the supply of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the Calgary Drop-In Centre.

Orubor has a criminal history dating back more than 30 years in both British Columbia and Alberta.