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Drugs tied to Hells Angels, court told Laura Busch Northern News Services Published Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Robert Livingstone told the NWT Supreme Court Thursday that when he and Rory Moore, on trial for possession of marijuana and cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, were stopped in a truck while travelling to Yellowknife from British Columbia, they were aware that drugs were hidden in the truck. Yellowknife RCMP later found more than $90,000 worth of crack cocaine and marijuana in the vehicle. Livingstone said the drugs came from his cousin, with whom the pair had been staying near Langley, B.C., before making the trek to Yellowknife. He also testified that his cousin was associated with the Hells Angels. "He's associated with the Hells Angels, right?" said Livingstone about his cousin. "That's how the police know him. They're not stupid." While Livingstone testified that he was not involved in procuring or selling the drugs, he said he was the one who hid the packages of drugs before leaving British Columbia. "I know he runs drugs. He's trying to manipulate me into being his drug mule," said Livingstone about his cousin in B.C. Livingstone's testimony came on the first day of Moore's two-day trial, which has come to court almost two years after the charges were laid. Members of the Yellowknife RCMP organized crime division intercepted Moore and Livingstone on the highway outside of Yellowknife. Livingstone has also been charged and is expected to stand trial at a later date. RCMP Const. Dale Stewart testified that officers stopped a black Ford F-150 with a dark box cover more than 100 km outside of Yellowknife on Highway 3 at about 2:20 a.m. on June 27, 2010. It was not a routine traffic stop. A team of five officers intercepted the truck after receiving information that Moore was driving to Yellowknife with drugs. Stewart said officers inquired about Moore's vehicles in a national database, flagged his vehicles and were later told by Alberta Mounties that the truck in question had been stopped for speeding in Alberta. The Ford F-150 was seized and taken to the Yellowknife detachment garage, where police found four packages wrapped in black bags hidden inside a tire in the box of the truck. Inside the packages were 2.9 kilograms of marijuana. RCMP also found a grocery bag containing 268 grams of crack cocaine hidden in the cab of the truck. Each package of drugs was vacuum-sealed in clear plastic. No fingerprints were found on any of the drug packaging. The estimated street value of the amount of marijuana seized is $58,240, if sold at $20 per gram. The cocaine seized could have sold for $32,160 on the street, according an agreed statement of facts submitted to the court. Livingstone admitted that he has struggled with drug use throughout his life. During the time leading up to his arrest, his drug of choice was methamphetamine, which he said he used to manage chronic pain. He testified that Moore had given him crack cocaine before, while the pair were living in his cousin's other residence in Yellowknife. Moore had not wanted to sell him the drugs, said Livingstone. "Rory's never treated me wrong," he said, and later added, "I do really care about Rory. I want him to get away from my cousin." Livingstone also testified that he saw Moore helping his cousin package the drugs in British Columbia, and that it had been Moore who passed him the package of cocaine when he was stashing it in the cushion of the truck's rear seat. Livingstone and Moore were ordered by the court on July 20, 2010 to have no contact with one another. On Thursday, Livingstone wore a red T-shirt with the usual grey sweatpants and white socks worn by North Slave Correctional Centre inmates, sporting an unkempt reddish beard and glasses. Moore, who is not in custody, wore a navy-blue suit, was clean-shaven and had short dark hair. On July 29, 2010, a search warrant was executed on the British Columbia residence of Livingstone's cousin. A vacuum sealer was found, the court heard. Last Friday, Moore's defence lawyer, Jamel Chadi, and Crown prosecutor, Angie Paquin, made their closing arguments. Supreme Court Justice Virginia Schuler has reserved her judgment until next Tuesday.
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