By Katie Ryan
Thirteen people have been charged after the local RCMP concluded a two month drug investigation that spanned the city.
City officers, along with the local General Investigation Section and the assistance of other K Division Drug units wrapped up the investigation and handed out 10 trafficking cocaine charges, two methamphetamine (crystal meth) charges and two ecstasy trafficking charges.
Charges were laid against 13 individuals for a combined of 26 charges of trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking a controlled substance, as well as other Criminal Code offences.
The investigation was spurred by problems the detachment has identified within the community.
“We are looking at the reports of crime that we have and we are trying to determine the causes of them and most of the time the root of the problems we are having is based in the drug trade. By going after the drug dealers we are hoping to reduce the overall reported crime,” said Cpl. Grant Rusk.
Rusk said many of the individuals charged were already known to police and had been targeted specifically.
“During the course of the investigation, obviously we ran into new people that seemed to pop up in the drug scene,” Rusk continued, accounting for the number of people charged.
In addition to the drugs seized, firearms, $7,500 in cash and two vehicles were seized as offence related property.
The RCMP released in a statement Wednesday that the following were charged as a result of this investigation:
• Mathew McAlister - Trafficking Cocaine – two counts
• Korey Long - Trafficking Cocaine – two counts
• Harry Dillon, Jr.- Trafficking Cocaine – two counts and Trafficking Ecstasy – two counts
• Darcy Feser - Trafficking Cocaine – five counts
• Kara Cromartie - Trafficking Ecstasy
• Trent Angus - Trafficking Crack Cocaine – two counts
• Morris Parchoma - Trafficking Methamphetamine – three counts
• Damien Mercer - Trafficking Cocaine – two counts
• Joseph Wagner - Trafficking Cocaine
• Leslie Naistus - Trafficking Cocaine
• Jason Hewko - Trafficking Cocaine
• Blair Le Blanc - Trafficking Methamphetamine and Cocaine
“There is a certain amount of value to everyone knowing who is trafficking in their community,” said Rusk. Harry Dillon Jr. is on warrant status for these offences, but all other traffickers have been arrested and are in the court process.
With this investigation Rusk said the police have “disrupted” the local drug trade.
“We are hoping we can hold some of these people accountable for their actions and they’ll get sentences that will serve as a deterrent,” he said. “At this point in time everything still remains before the court, no convictions yet, they are all remaining to be heard before the courts. We are anticipating and we are hopeful that we will remain successful in all of our charges on this.”
OTHER POLICE MATTERS
• In an unrelated investigation, city police also attended a local school in Lloydminster and arrested a male for selling marijuana to students.
• During the month of February, local RCMP conducted numerous routine traffic stops. In one specific instance a vehicle was searched and small amounts of marijuana was located. Cpl. Rusk brought this to city council’s attention in February’s police report as “no case seizure” instances are an ongoing concern for officers. The numbers of “no case seizures” is increasing monthly said Rusk.
“They are where we find, be it roaches or something like that, small amounts (of drugs) where we know that people have had larger amounts of drugs, but they are no longer there,” he explained. “Essentially we are using it more for information purposes to direct our other work with the trafficking.”