Crime Correspondent: Winnipeg

Sukhray Singh Saran sentenced to six years in prison.

Sukhray Singh Saran sentenced to six years in prison.

Sukhray Singh Saran 21-year-old Winnipeg man pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking and was sent...

Joel Bohemier pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of cocaine trafficking

A judge agreed to release Bohemier on bail yesterday so he can "get his affairs in order" before beginning a penitentiary sentence in October. Bohemier, 37, was one of 18 people arrested last December following a year-long undercover police investigation targeting organized crime dubbed Project Drill. Bohemier pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of cocaine trafficking. Additional counts of marijuana trafficking and possession of goods obtained by crime will be dealt with at a sentencing hearing Oct. 7. The Crown and defence will be jointly recommending a prison sentence, the duration of which will depend on Bohemier's behaviour while on bail, said prosecutor Chris Mainella. Justice Doug Abra consented to Bohemier's bail release after family members agreed to sign sureties for $100,000. "If Mr. Bohemier can't stay on the straight and narrow, his family is going to pay a severe financial penalty," Mainella said. While on bail, Bohemier is to observe an absolute curfew except while working as a mover. Career criminal Scott Robertson was paid $500,000 to buy drugs from Project Drill suspects while police recorded the proceedings. Among those caught in Project Drill's net are several Hells Angels and associates and local Hells Angels president Dale Donovan. Court documents describe Bohemier as an "independent" drug dealer who was selling marijuana by the pound and cocaine by the multi-ounces

Joel Bohemier pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of cocaine trafficking

A judge agreed to release Bohemier on bail yesterday so he can "get his affairs in order" before beginning a penitentiary sentence...

nine kilos of cocaine worth $385,000 in tightly wrapped bricks.Three men, one 24 and the other two 22, face drug trafficking and possession charges.

Police said they conducted a traffic stop on Wednesday near Ellice Avenue and Century Street around 4:30 p.m., and after searching the vehicle, found two kilos of cocaine and $30,000. The seizure of the drugs and cash prompted the arrest of the two men in the vehicle -- police then said their investigation led them to search a home on Strathcona Street. Inside the home they found another nine kilos of cocaine worth $385,000 in tightly wrapped bricks, along with a small amount of crack, $55,000 in cash and nearly 1.5 kilos of Benzocaine."It's an incredible seizure," said Const. Nick Paulet.Three men, one 24 and the other two 22, face drug trafficking and possession charges.None of the men has a criminal record, and it's not known where the drugs came from, police said. Sgt. Darrin Kruger of the Winnipeg police street crime unit said the Strathcona Street home was not a cocaine production facility, and called the seizure "a little dent" in a much larger problem. "There's a lot more in the city," Kruger added.It's the second publicly-announced cocaine bust by city police in the last two weeks.On Feb. 16, police charged two men after they raided a home on Partridge Avenue.It's believed that house was a cocaine-production facility, as an industrial press to press the drug into bricks was seized along with more than $100,000 worth of the drug, along with marijuana, cash and other drug agents. Neither of the seizures is believed to be linked to organized crime -- which may indicate more people are willing to risk running their own independent drug operations for a piece of the huge profits involved. The sheer number of addicts on the streets is pushing up demand, Kruger said. Brian Paterson of Tamarack, a West Broadway second-stage residential drug treatment centre, said as many as 75 per cent of people coming through their doors are s addicted to cocaine.Paterson said he's seen the use of cocaine and crack become "firmly entrenched" among Tamarack's clients in past years.He said the drugs have taken hold in Winnipeg's inner-city, largely due to how inexpensive and easy to get they are, either on the street or through a "dial-a-dealer."He added cocaine and crack addiction is compounded over generations as addicts have children who become addicted in turn."Over a couple of generations it really adds up," Paterson said.

nine kilos of cocaine worth $385,000 in tightly wrapped bricks.Three men, one 24 and the other two 22, face drug trafficking and possession charges.

Police said they conducted a traffic stop on Wednesday near Ellice Avenue and Century Street around 4:30 p.m., and after searching the vehic...

Timothy M. Morneau, Christian D. Laurin, Alan James Mulder 200,000 Ecstasy tablets

Timothy M. Morneau, 31, Christian D. Laurin, 19, and Alan James Mulder, 19, all of Winnipeg, Manitoba, are accused of smuggling the drugs across the U.S.-Canada border into North Dakota on a snowmobile.On Feb. 9, a Montana Highway Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle near Glendive for having a headlight out. A search of the vehicle turned up at least 200,000 Ecstasy tablets, said Travis Pitts, a Laurel police officer and special agent with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. The tablets sell for about $25 each on the street.A criminal complaint charges the men with conspiracy to possess Ecstasy for distribution and possession with intent to distribute. If convicted, they face up to life in prison and a $4 million fine. The case will be submitted to a grand jury for indictment. Jim Tilley, the DEA's resident agent in charge in Billings, said it was one of the largest Ecstasy seizures in the state. A bust near Sweetgrass netted 100,000 tablets. Ecstasy, a stimulant and hallucinogen, is typically packaged in pound quantities, Tilley said. The drug is manufactured for about $3 a pill by labs in Canada and Amsterdam

Timothy M. Morneau, Christian D. Laurin, Alan James Mulder 200,000 Ecstasy tablets

Timothy M. Morneau, 31, Christian D. Laurin, 19, and Alan James Mulder, 19, all of Winnipeg, Manitoba, are accused of smuggling the drugs ac...

Peter O'Kane, Jess Zebrun

Constables Peter O'Kane and Jess Zebrun, were put on paid administrative leave last week after being charged with perjury. The allegatio...

Jason Bicknell

Jason Bicknell, 34, admitted to being a cross-country drug mule after being caught in Headingley with nearly $1 million worth of marijuana stuffed inside his truck. He was given a two-year-less-a-day conditional jail sentence that will allow him to continue living on the west coast under strict conditions. Crown attorney Erin Magas said Bicknell was headed to Ontario with the pot but attracted the attention of police by going 115 km-h in a 70-km-h zone on the Trans-Canada Highway. The October 2004 spot-check ended when a police drug dog named "Jasmine" was brought in to inspect his vehicle. Police obtained a warrant and found the drugs inside. Defence lawyer Sheldon Pinx said his client was just doing a favour for a friend and had no idea of the large quantity of drugs he was carrying. Bicknell thanked the Crown for agreeing to the conditional sentence as part of a plea bargain, as these types of offences normally carry penitentiary terms. Pinx and Magas told court there could have been issues at trial regarding the grounds police had to search the vehicle. Bicknell's conditions include a 24-hour daily curfew, with exceptions that will allow him to continue working on movie shoots and with his outdoor adventure company. He must also forfeit the van police seized and more than $6,000 cash found inside. Bicknell is also required to perform 150 hours of community service work and abstain from alcohol for the duration of his sentence. Bicknell has been free on bail since his arrest and recently lost both his parents in separate incidents, court was told. He also married a Brazilian woman who hasn't been able to come to Canada yet and recently got hit with a $128,000 assessment by Revenue Canada that may force him to seek bankruptcy, said Pinx.

Jason Bicknell

Jason Bicknell, 34, admitted to being a cross-country drug mule after being caught in Headingley with nearly $1 million worth of marijuana s...

Terrance Wayne Tucker

Terrance Wayne Tucker, 42, was found mortally wounded in the rear of 371 Maryland St. City tax records say the residence is owned by Malcolm Amos. Police sources said he is the younger brother of Hells Angels associate Harold Amos, who is currently serving a nine-year prison term on a 2006 gun and drug conviction. Police would not comment on Tucker's connection to Malcolm Amos or a possible motive for his killing. No one has been arrested and police still had the house sealed off Monday. Tucker is the latest in what appears to be an almost unbroken string of killings linked either to street gangs, drugs or both. Eight people, including eight-month pregnant Joanne Hoeppner, have been killed since last March. She was shot to death in her Magnus Avenue home last week. In Hoeppner's and four other slayings, police have yet to make an arrest -- an unprecedented number of cases for city police to still have unsolved. Police declined Monday to comment if the violence is connected to gang war over the drug trade. Const. Jacqueline Chaput said senior officers are looking at what's driving the violence and how police can address it. Police Chief Keith McCaskill said last week one of the reasons contributing to the violence is that many people are too frightened to talk to police to report crimes or provide information to investigators. Tucker was found behind the house at about 4 p.m. Friday with a gunshot wound to his upper body. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at hospital.

Terrance Wayne Tucker

Terrance Wayne Tucker, 42, was found mortally wounded in the rear of 371 Maryland St. City tax records say the residence is owned by Malcolm...