Whitehorse Daily Star

Convictions from major drug operation roll on

It’s been a good week for federal prosecutors in Whitehorse.

By Pierre Chauvin on November 25, 2015

It’s been a good week for federal prosecutors in Whitehorse.

Two men were convicted today of trafficking cocaine after pleading guilty before Yukon territorial court.

Asif Aslam and Matthew Truesdale were arrested during the Yukon RCMP’s 2013 “Monolith” operation aimed at disrupting the drug supply in the territory.

The two men were scheduled to stand trial next spring, and had entered not guilty pleas.

But today, Crown prosecutor Eric Marcoux told Judge John Faulkner he had reached an agreement with the defence.

That means prosecutors have successfully obtained convictions for five people arrested in the RCMP operation.

Michael Dunbar was convicted in November 2014 for trafficking cocaine and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Earlier this year, Kuntoniah Graham was convicted on similar charges. He hasn’t been sentenced yet.

Crown prosecutors are also appealing the acquittal of Jason McMillan.

McMillan was acquitted in September after Judge Karen Ruddy found the Crown hadn’t proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the man had been in possession of cocaine at the time or place specified in the charge.

The Crown and defence are expected to make a joint submission for sentencing Aslam and Truesdale, scheduled for March 2016.

Marcoux read an agreed statement of facts to the court.

It was similar to the one read out on Monday by Crown prosecutor Sue Bogle after Jesse Ritchie, also charged in project Monolith, pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and marijuana.

Yukon RCMP relied on a drug-dealer-turned-informant to obtain evidence in the case.

The force called the operation “one of the most significant organized crime investigations in the territory to date,” at the time.

It was conducted by the RCMP “M” federal investigation unit which focuses on organized crime.

The man officially became a police agent in late August 2013, and the police ended the investigation in mid-November of that year.

The man, whose identity can’t be revealed because of a publication ban, made a number of purchases from Aslam, Truesdale and Ritchie.

On Nov. 1, 2013, the informant met Aslam and Truesdale.

Aslam told him they had two kilos of cocaine available.

Truesdale corrected him, noting they actually only had 1 3/4 kilogram of it.

The RCMP had obtained a warrant to intercept communications between the men and the informant.

The informant met Truesdale in Surrey, B.C., later that month to retrieve the drug.

He then turned it over to an RCMP agent waiting nearby.

On Nov. 19, the police searched the Surrey residence the informant had obtained the drug from.

They found 12 cellphones, four laptops, a tablet, a phone jammer, a scoresheet and an electronic scale.

The police also found five rifles with scopes and two shotguns and corresponding ammunition, but all these weapons were properly registered and stored, Marcoux told the court.

A kilo of cocaine has a wholesale value of between $74,000 and $77,000, Marcoux noted.

Once distributed, it has a street value of $100 per gram.

Ritchie, Aslam and Truesdale are scheduled to be back before Yukon territorial court next March for sentencing.

Comments (3)

Up 11 Down 26

Stu Whatman on Nov 26, 2015 at 1:15 pm

There would be no drug dealers if there was no demand.
Government should provide safe injection sites.

Up 27 Down 5

John Gould on Nov 26, 2015 at 11:35 am

Judging by the article we should be proud of the crown for such a successful week. So here's a question for them, they have all admitted guilt to weapons, money and drugs, there is more than one person so a group and they are released till march for sentencing. Plus no proceeds of crime seizures, no organized crime charges and no excuse. Why convicted drug dealers are roaming the streets till March of next year? Something stinks here and it ain't dog poo. This is a insult to the community of Whitehorse and the whole Yukon. Public safety my butt, this is why these kind of people come to the Yukon cause our system is so weak.

Up 35 Down 2

alex on Nov 25, 2015 at 3:28 pm

This will never end as long as there is a demand and money to be made.

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