More drug bust charges dropped
Two more off the hook after arrests in December raids; new charges laid against another B.C. resident
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, April 2, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Charges against two people arrested in December drug raids in Yellowknife have been withdrawn, according to court records.
Police seized cash, guns, marijuana and cocaine from multiple residences on Dec. 6 – arresting 11 suspects in the process. Charges against two of those people have since been withdrawn by Crown prosecutors. - NNSL file photo |
Jacalyn Sammut, 22, of Brooks, Alta., and Chad Peacock, 29, of Burnaby, B.C. were both charged with two counts of possessing property obtained by crime and one count of possessing less than 30 grams of marijuana following co-ordinated RCMP drug raids Dec. 6.
RCMP seized more than $32,000 in cash, 226 grams of marijuana, 85 grams of crack-cocaine, weapons, cellphones, an RCMP-issued jacket and a bullet-proof vest during early-morning raids at multiple Yellowknife residences. A total of 11 people were arrested.
Sammut's charges were withdrawn by Crown prosecutors on Feb. 21, followed by Peacock's charges being withdrawn on March 7.
Crown prosecutor Bradley Demone said after reviewing evidence in the case, they realized there was "no reasonable prospect of conviction" for either Sammut or Peacock.
He added charges being withdrawn in this manner are fairly routine.
Eight others, including one Yellowknife resident, still face various drug trafficking, weapons and stolen property charges from the raid. Those have yet to be proven in court.
RCMP believe a criminal drug trafficking gang from lower mainland B.C. is operating in Yellowknife called with the "856" gang.
The gang's monicker is an homage to the phone prefix of Aldergrove, B.C. where the group originated.
Drug trafficking charges against three others from Langley, B.C. - arrested in a separate October drug raid - were withdrawn in February and March. Steven Mark Ormrod, a Yellowknife resident, still faces drug trafficking, possession of property obtained by crime and weapons charges from the raid.
New charges
Another man, whose name was not included in the original RCMP list of those charged during the Dec. 6 drug raids, had charges stemming from the raids sworn before the court on Feb. 27.
Michael Robert Hopkins, 26, of Langley, B.C., is charged with trafficking cocaine, possessing marijuana, possessing property obtained by crime. He has also been charged with four separate weapons charges.
It's not clear when he was arrested or how RCMP connected Hopkins to the Dec. 6 raids.
He's due to appear in court again on April 22.
Only one of the original 11 arrested in the Dec. 6 drug raids remains in custody. Matthew Jager, 30, of Calgary is charged with two counts of possessing property obtained by crime and another count of possessing greater than 30 grams of marijuana.
The Crown has chosen to proceed by indictment on Jager's charges, meaning they intend to seek a harsher sentence if they secure a conviction. Jager is due to appear in Supreme Court on April 7 for a bail review.
The next day he's set to appear in territorial court to enter a plea on his charges.
