Twenty-one people charged in Lethbridge drug trafficking investigation

Twenty-one people charged in Lethbridge drug trafficking investigation

Twenty-one people charged in Lethbridge drug trafficking investigation

August 8, 2013

 

 Lethbridge…ALERT’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-Lethbridge) wrapped up a nine-month drug trafficking investigation with charges against 21 people believed to be dealing cocaine and marihuana within the city of Lethbridge.

CFSEU-Lethbridge is an integrated team of Lethbridge Regional Police Service (LRPS) members and RCMP who work together to address organized crime in the community. CFSEU-Lethbridge began an investigation in November 2012 into a group that was allegedly transporting drugs from Calgary to Lethbridge.

Five search warrants were executed between January and July 2013, resulting in 84 charges laid against 21 people. In total, police seized nearly 1.8 kilograms of cocaine, 587 grams of marihuana, $17,225 cash, three firearms, including a stolen, sawed-off, 12-gauge shotgun, body armour, a number of cell phones, and an assortment of drug trafficking paraphernalia. Combined, the seized drugs have an estimated potential street value of nearly $180,000.

Charged are:

  • Jade LITTLE, 23-year-old female Lethbridge resident, with six countsof trafficking a controlled substance. Little was arrested and remanded in custody until her next court appearance on August 15.
  • Awet ABRAHA, 25-year-old male Lethbridge resident, with three counts of trafficking a controlled substance and three counts of breaching conditions of his recognizance. Abraha was released on bail until his next court appearance on October 3.
  • Lindsey ITO, 36-year-old female Lethbridge resident, with one count of trafficking a controlled substance. Ito remains at large. A warrant for arrest has been obtained.
  • Grace MERCIER,  27-year-old female Lethbridge resident, with three counts of trafficking a controlled substance and three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking. Mercier remains at large. A warrant for arrest has been obtained.
  • Chol DENG, 22-year-old male Calgary resident, with one count of trafficking a controlled substance and one count of breaching conditions of his recognizance. Deng remains at large. A warrant for arrest has been obtained.
  • Jordan MACLEAN, 23-year-old male Lethbridge resident, with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession of proceeds of crime, and one count of possession of ammunition when prohibited. Maclean’s next court appearance is August 8.
  • Curtis BENSON, 26-year-old male Lethbridge resident, with three counts of possession of a controlled substance. Benson’s next court appearance is August 8.
  • Levi Duncan REITER, 23-year-old male of Iron Springs, with resisting a peace officer. Reiter is remanded into custody and his next court appearance is August 9.
  • Derek Scott DUCKWORTH, 20-year-old male Lethbridge resident, with possession of a controlled substance. Duckworth’s next court appearance is August 8.
  • Shane David POOLE, 23-year-old male Lethbridge resident is charged with possession of a controlled substance. Poole has pled guilty and received a $300 fine.
  • Tyler Joseph PODD, 25-year-old male Lethbridge resident, with possession of a controlled substance. Podd has pled guilty and received a $300 fine.
  • Brady James GALTS, 23-year-old male Lethbridge resident, with possession of a firearm obtained through the commission of an offence, possession of stolen property, possession of a prohibited device, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, unauthorized possession of a firearm, careless storage of a firearm, and careless use of a firearm. Galts’ next court appearance is August 23.
  • Cody Fern SKINNER, 26-year-old male Lethbridge resident, with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of marihuana, possession of proceeds of crime, failure to comply with a recognizance, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, and possession of a prohibited weapon. Skinner’s next court appearance is August 8.

Eight other people were arrested in related ALERT investigations that were previously made public on February 7, March 5, and March 14, 2013.

“This investigation has now secured charges against 21 people for trafficking drugs in our community,” commented Staff Sergeant Wes Houston of CFSEU-Lethbridge. “We are very pleased with these results, but we know that there are others waiting to move in and take over. Our work does not end here.”

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. Nearly 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

Candace Cook
Communications
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)
780-509-3015

Since 2022, CISA has been guided by four pillars that focus the effort to promote an integrated, intelligence-led approach to combating organized crime; these are:

  • Building Relationships with Stakeholders;
  • Promote Intel Sharing Across the Province;
  • Being Proactive and Identify Emerging Trends; and
  • Investing in Our People Through Training and Development

 

Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta (CISA) has recently developed an Alberta Firearms Intelligence Centre (AFIC) to equitably expand access to firearms intelligence for all law enforcement agencies within Alberta. AFIC will provide timely, accurate, and actionable intelligence to law enforcement agencies and policy-makers to achieve the shared and collaborative goals of increasing public safety concerning firearm-related crimes.

Protecting Kids Online | Internet Child Exploitation

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

FILE INTAKES

680

872

1,149

1,114

3,815

2,994

2,764

SUSPECTS CHARGED

22

16

34

37

109

81

125

CHARGES LAID

87

45

123

160

415

351

413

CHILDREN RESCUED

26

78

56

43

203

46

100

EXHIBITS SEIZED

335

368

545

476

1,724

1,243

1,845

TOTAL PHOTOS/VIDEOS

262,400

511,133

1,374,310

606,254

2,754,097

2,551,921

13,260,819

Stopping Human Trafficking | HUMAN TRAFFICKING & COUNTER EXPLOITATION

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

13

10

7

4

34

30

76

CHARGES LAID

79

46

87

19

231

96

157

VICTIM INTERVENTIONS

30

29

17

37

113

28

22

Intelligence & Expertise | CISA / Training

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

INTELLIGENCE REPORTS

409

296

327

442

1,474

1,560

1,318

TRAINING COURSES

5

3

8

11

27

36

25

CANDIDATES TRAINED

321

56

135

350

862

933

638

Disrupt & Dismantle Organized Crime | Combined Special Forces Enforcement

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

40

27

42

32

141

197

168

CHARGES LAID

176

156

237

231

800

1,088

820

FIREARMS SEIZED

105

53

26

48

232

102

126

EST. VALUE OF DRUGS SEIZED

$906,814

$553,851

$2,725,161

$1,148,337

$5,334,163

$10,898,269

$334,093,020

PROCEEDS OF CRIME SEIZED

$218,133

$52,970

$130,996

$230,195

$632,294

$1,432,847

$21,740,617

ANNUAL Regional ResultS

ARRESTS

CHARGES

FIREARMS

DRUGS

PROCEEDS

CALGARY

24

110

14

$937,422

$65,881

EDMONTON

17

131

45

$592,839

$272,446

FORT MCMURRAY

8

78

4

$352,942

$144,301

GRANDE PRAIRIE

7

17

13

$192,145

$31,855

LETHBRIDGE

7

29

44

$349,773

$51,245

LLOYDMINSTER

24

93

41

$164,134

$12,504

MEDICINE HAT

37

179

13

$293,108

$7,861

RED DEER

17

163

58

$2,451,800

$46,201

TOTALS

141

800

232

$5,334,163

$632,294

Organized Property Crimes | Auto Crimes

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

1

1

2

1

10

CHARGES LAID

11

47

STOLEN VEHICLES

23

15

1

6

45

245

118

RECOVERED ASSETS

$1,432,000

$941,025

$108,000

$260,000

$2,741025

$8,420,500

$3,919,500

Firearms investigations | Firearms lab & Gang suPpression teams

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

FIREARMS EXAMINATIONS

349

351

243

235

1,178

EXHIBIT EXAMINATIONS

1,316

1,409

891

1,099

4,715

SERIAL NUMBER RESTORATIONS

31

34

19

24

108

IBIS SUBMISSIONS

343

421

1,334

304

2,402

GUN SEIZURES

1

14

15

SUSPECTS CHARGED

4

22

26

CHARGES LAID

41

144

185

Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) involves images and/or videos that depict the sexual abuse of minors – the majority of which involve prepubescent children. Often, CSAM involves explicit and/or extreme sexual assaults against the child victim (Cybertip.ca).

Learn more about Internet Child Exploitation and ALERT’s integrated teams combatting this issue.

Ghost Guns are illegal, privately manufactured firearms or lower receivers. These weapons are often made with 3D-printers, and undermine public safety due to their lack of licensing requirements, serialization and safety controls.

Learn more about Ghost Guns on ALERT’s dedicated Privately Manufactured Firearms info page