Eleven people charged after drug trafficking ring busted in Lethbridge

May 2, 2012

Lethbridge…Eleven people face numerous charges after police busted a drug trafficking ring in Lethbridge following a 10-month investigation.

The Lethbridge Regional Police Service and ALERT’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-Lethbridge) worked together on this investigation, with assistance from the Lethbridge Regional Police Service Patrols Operation Section. Launched April 1, CFSEU-Lethbridge is an integrated team of RCMP and Lethbridge Regional Police Service members.

On April 27, police executed a search warrant at a home along the 1800 block of 1^st Avenue North. Police recovered just over $2,500 in cash, replica Airsoft guns, 10 cell phones, a small quantity of cannabis, and narcotics including Ativan and Hydromorph Contin, as well as drug packaging and other drug paraphernalia.

Three females and two males were located inside the home and arrested without incident. A short time later, police conducted a targeted traffic stop along Highway 3 inside the city limits and arrested two males and a female. A 14-year-old female and one of the males arrested at the home were subsequently released without charges.

“The results of this investigation show the value of forging partnerships within the law enforcement community,” said Staff Sergeant Wes Houston, officer in charge of CFSEU-Lethbridge. “We will continue to build safer communities by working together to target drug trafficking and other organized crime.”

“This group was moving between rental properties often, trying to avoid detection and impacting several neighbourhoods in our community,” continued Staff Sergeant Houston. “We would like to remind landlords to conduct thorough background checks on prospective tenants and to always have a solid tenancy agreement in place.”

The following people have been arrested and charged:

• Kerri Rae Stewart, 38, of Lethbridge, is charged with 15 counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possession of the proceeds of crime. She is remanded to appear in court May 3.
• Jason Thomas Wilson, 36, of Lethbridge, is charged with three counts of trafficking in a controlled substance and one count of possession of the proceeds of crime. He is remanded to appear in court May 3.
• Joseph North Peigan, 21, of Lethbridge, is charged with one count of trafficking in a controlled substance and one count of breach of a recognizance. He was released on cash bail to appear in court May 25.
• Georgina Archibald, 47, of Lethbridge, is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance. She was released on a recognizance to appear in court May 18.
• Mike Brown, 21, of Lethbridge, is charged with one count of breach of a recognizance. Brown was released from custody on a recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court May 18.
• Shawnee Rae Stewart, 19, of Lethbridge is charged with one count of aiding and abetting and breach of a recognizance. She was released from custody to appear in court May 25.
• A 16-year-old male of Lethbridge is charged with one count of trafficking a controlled substance and was released from custody to appear in court May 9.

Four other men have been charged in connection with this drug distribution ring and warrants have been issued for their arrest:

• Ben Mitchell, 21, of Lethbridge, is charged with five counts of trafficking a controlled substance.
• Said Said, 23, of Toronto, is charged with five counts of trafficking a controlled substance.
• Afrah Ali, 23, of Grande Prairie, is charged with three counts of trafficking a controlled substance, one count of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and one count of breach of a recognizance.
• Christopher Degeorgio, 19, of Lethbridge, is charged with four counts of trafficking a controlled substance.

The investigation into this matter is ongoing. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of these men is asked to contact police at 403-328-4444 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

ALERT was established by the Government of Alberta to bring together the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources to tackle serious and organized crime. Over 400 municipal police, RCMP and sheriffs work for ALERT.

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Media inquiries may be directed to:
Staff Sergeant Wes Houston
CFSEU-Lethbridge
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)
403-330-5061

Jill Baird
Communications
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)
780-509-3028