SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A man who hid more than a kilogram of cocaine in the basement of the Yellowknife airport is going to a federal penitentiary.

Brad Baker was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in Supreme Court on Nov. 30.

On Dec. 15, 2008, police received an anonymous tip about drugs stashed at the airport. They discovered 1,016 grams of cocaine in a plastic bag hidden above ceiling tiles in a hallway in the airport's basement.

Police replaced the drugs with a decoy package and set up a surveillance camera.

Two days later the bag was gone. A man, later identified as Baker, was captured on camera using a ladder to retrieve the bag.

At the time, Baker owned and operated the Navigator, the restaurant in Yellowknife's airport.

He stored the drugs in exchange for $5,000, which he never received. Baker didn't purchase or attempt to sell the cocaine.

According to court documents, Baker "expressed remorse and embarrassment for being involved in illegal activity."

His Edmonton-based lawyer Jordan Stuffco submitted 12 letters from people writing in support of his client's character.

Baker, 37, who grew up in Moose Jaw, Sask., has been living in Kelowna, B.C. since May and working at a used car dealership.

In addition to the prison sentence, Justice Louise Charbonneau banned Baker from possessing a firearm for 10 years.

Crown prosecutor Glen Boyd said is was an usual case because Baker had no previous record.

"In spite of the fact that his role was warehousing it, it was our position he should have a penitentiary sentence," Boyd said, adding he considered any sentence more than two years "a very serious sentence."

"The message it sends says it doesn't matter your level of involvement, if you're involved in the cocaine trade, you'll receive a penitentiary sentence," he said.

Baker's co-accused, Robert Howie, 59, was charged with two counts of trafficking and one count of possession of property obtained by a crime in relation to the same incident. His trial date has not been set.