A provincial civil servant has been suspended after he was among 28 people including three Ontario Hells Angels who were charged last week in what police call a multi-million-dollar illegal offshore gambling enterprise.

Richard Pereira, 35, of Oshawa, was charged with criminal breach of trust and unauthorized use of a computer in the police operation, which police said was linked to York Region mobsters as well as outlaw bikers.

Pereira is a Ministry of Transportation employee and was the only civil servant charged.

The employee in question has been placed on suspension pending investigation, Alisha Tharani of the provincial Treasury Board Secretariat told the Star.

She offered no details about the terms of the suspension.

The Ontario Public Service will cooperate with authorities as required, Tharani said in an email. As this is currently an active human resources matter we are unable to comment further at this time.

Charges against other suspects in the police crackdown included commission of offences for a criminal organization, bookmaking, firearms, money laundering and tax evasion.

The Ontario Provincial Police said they seized more than $12 million in assets, including sports cars, two golf carts, seven residences, nine illegal handguns, jewelry valued at approximately $300,000, $330,000 in precious metals, $1.2 million in financial accounts and approximately $1.7 million in cash.

The multi-jurisdictional police operation was dubbed Project Hobart and began in January 2018. There were 228 charges laid against 28 people from across the province and Oka, Que., last week.

Police said the complex gambling network was controlled by Ontario Hells Angels bikers with ties to York Regional mobsters.

The operation pulled in more than $131 million in gross revenues and included the websites Ultimate SB, Titan SB, PlaytoWin WB, Privada SB and Players SB, police said.

Gamblers were allowed credit limits as high as $20,000, but they were also expected to settle doubts within a week, police said.

The groups also operated a gaming house in Mississauga, police said

The three full-patch Hells Angels who were charged by police are Robert Barletta, 49, a London, Ont. strip club owner; Craig (Truck) McIlquham, 49, of Oakville; and Eugenio (Gino) Reda, 55, of King City.

Barletta was hit with 11 charges, including illegal firearms possession, bookmaking and commission of an offence for a criminal organization.

McIlquhams dozen charges include possession of a restricted weapon, bookmaking and commission of an offence for a criminal organization.

Reda faces three bookmaking charges and another for commission of an offence for a criminal organization.

Niagara Hells Angel Michael (Diaz) Deabaitua-Schulde was originally also targeted in the project. Deabaitua-Schulde was murdered on March 11 after leaving a workout at a gym in a commercial plaza in Mississauga.

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The gambling operation was linked to the Figliomeni Crime Family of York Region, some alleged members of which were charged in July by York Regional Police in a sweeping investigation called Project Sindicato, OPP Chief Supt. Paul Beesley said.

Three Montreal men were charged with first-degree murder in Deabaitua-Schuldes death and another Montreal man has been charged with complicity after the fact.

Police said the investigation was spurred by an escalation of violent crimes across Ontario, including attempted murders, arson, extortion and threats.

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Ontario Ministry of Transportation employee suspended after arrest in Hells Angels gambling bust - Toronto Star