Prosecutors discontinue breach-of-trust cases involving two Edmonton-area RCMP officers
Prosecutors have discontinued proceedings against two RCMP members who faced breach-of-trust allegations tied to an alleged sexual relationship with a woman, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service confirmed Thursday.
The decision affects Daniel Mayowski, a former Mountie now a civilian, and Sgt. Sheldon Robb, who was serving in K Division’s traffic services unit when charges were laid last summer. The Crown said changes to “key evidence” prompted a reassessment that left the available material insufficient to proceed.
“Crown prosecutors have an obligation to assess their cases on a continual basis to ensure all aspects of the evidence are carefully considered and meet the standard for prosecution,” Michelle Davio, a Crown spokesperson, said in an email.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) opened its investigation on Feb. 16, 2024. Charges were subsequently laid in August 2025. Court records show the officers were accused of committing breaches of trust “in connection with the duties of (their) office by engaging in a personal sexual relationship” with the same woman.
Case outcomes differed by officer:
- Daniel Mayowski — charge stayed June 26, 2026. A stayed charge can be revived by the Crown within one year if new evidence emerges.
- Sgt. Sheldon Robb — charge withdrawn April 23, 2026. A withdrawn charge ends the prosecution permanently.
An RCMP spokesperson said Robb remains suspended with pay while a separate code of conduct investigation proceeds. The statement did not provide further detail about that internal process.
The alleged timing of the incidents differs in the court documents. The charge against Mayowski referenced October 2022, while the Robb allegation covered a period from Jan. 1, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2024.
Local context and implications
ASIRT investigations and criminal charges against serving police officers are rare and often attract close public scrutiny because they touch on the integrity of law enforcement. The Crown’s explanation that “key evidence changed” is terse but significant: it signals prosecutors concluded the factual record no longer met the test of a reasonable likelihood of conviction or the public-interest standard required to continue.
For the public, the outcome poses difficult questions. Charges being discontinued does not equate to an exoneration in the court of public opinion, particularly when an internal code of conduct probe remains underway. For the officers involved — one now a civilian and the other suspended pending internal review — the decisions will have professional and personal consequences, even if criminal prosecution will not proceed at this time.
For policing oversight, the case highlights the two-layered accountability framework that governs serious incidents involving police in Alberta: external criminal investigation by ASIRT and internal conduct processes managed by the RCMP. Each has a different standard, purpose and potential result.
| Officer | Initial status | Alleged timing | Current prosecutorial outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Mayowski | Former Mountie | October 2022 | Charge stayed (June 26, 2026) |
| Sgt. Sheldon Robb | Sergeant, K Division traffic services | Jan. 1, 2020 – Jan. 31, 2024 | Charge withdrawn (April 23, 2026); suspended with pay (RCMP) |
The Crown’s communication underscores prosecutors’ ongoing duty to reassess cases as evidence develops. As the Crown noted, prosecutions must meet both a reasonable prospect of conviction and be in the public interest — a dual threshold that sometimes leads to withdrawn or stayed charges when the evidentiary picture changes.
For Edmontonians and Alberta residents watching accountability mechanisms at work, the next steps will be the RCMP’s internal review and whether new evidence emerges within the statutory window that would allow a stayed charge to be revived. Until then, the criminal process is effectively at an end for one accused and on pause for the other.
This report is based on statements from the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, RCMP comments on suspension and ASIRT’s investigation timeline as provided in public records and media releases.
