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Trafficker gets 18 months

Two suspects arrested from Project Getaway

Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 14/02) - Rickey Storey has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after he was convicted on two counts of trafficking cocaine.

Supreme Court Justice Virginia Schuler handed down the sentence yesterday after Storey, 28, plead guilty to both counts. A third charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking was dropped by the Crown.

For the first time details of the RCMP's undercover drug bust Project Getaway were heard in court.

Last March an undercover civilian agent accompanied by an undercover police officer were directed to approach named targets believed by the RCMP to be drug traffickers.

On March 14 the two undercover agents went to Storey's residence at Room 50 of the Gold Range Hotel wanting to purchase two grams of cocaine from him.

Storey was paid $130 for each gram and also requested a $60 payment towards a debt owed to him by the civilian agent.

Later that evening the agents again visited Storey's room asking him to "help them out with a gram." Storey sold them another gram of cocaine for $140. Because Storey has a criminal record containing five convictions for possession of narcotics and trafficking of marijuana, Crown prosecutor Scott Niblock requested a two-year prison term be handed down in order to ensure "denunciation and deterrence of drug trafficking."

In his defence, lawyer Kelly Payne said Storey was simply "doing a favour" for the civilian agent.

"He was approached by someone he knew to be a user," said Payne, adding he sold the drugs, part of his "personal stash," at market value.

"It's pathetic really," she said, referring to the fact that Storey would have made just $90 on the transactions.

Payne said her client is a drug addict and his habit was "getting out of hand for him personally."

She said he had consulted the Tree of Peace before his arrest to inquire if there were any rehabilitation services in Yellowknife which dealt specifically with cocaine addictions. He was advised there are no such programs offered in Yellowknife.

Schuler said she commends the fact that Storey is "taking responsibility for what he did" but cannot ignore that he has "graduated to another level" by trafficking cocaine.

Suspects arrested

Two more Project Getaway suspects have been apprehended by the RCMP a month after the arrests began.

Sgt. Phil Johnson says Edmonton RCMP informed Yellowknife police officials that they had captured Pierre Escalona, 18, last week. Escalona is charged with two counts of trafficking cocaine in connection with the May drug sweep.

Also arrested was Stanley Pestano, 21, who turned himself in to the Yellowknife RCMP Tuesday morning. He is also charged with two counts of trafficking cocaine. Pestano was released on $4,000 bail and Escalona was released on $3,000 bail.

An arrest warrant is still in effect for Norman Hache, 21, who is also charged with two counts of trafficking cocaine.

Hache's lawyer appeared on his behalf in territorial court Tuesday. Hache was scheduled to appear to answer to one impaired driving charge, one charge of operating a vehicle with more than 80 mg. of alcohol in 100 ml. of blood and one charge of driving while suspended.

His lawyer stated Hache wished to plead guilty to counts two and three. He said Hache will be waiving sentencing in Yellowknife on those charges and other matters which he plans on dealing with in the south.

Crown prosecutor Shannon Smallwood said a waiver had not yet been delivered to the prosecutor's office and Johnson said he is unsure how the arrest process will proceed if Hache plans on dealing with the drug matters in the south.

RCMP are still seeking another unknown suspect wanted in connection with Project Getaway.