Two Thunder Bay Residents Face Cocaine and Fentanyl Trafficking Charges After Armstrong Traffic Stop
ARMSTRONG — REGIONAL CRIME NEWS — Two Thunder Bay residents are facing drug-trafficking charges after Ontario Provincial Police stopped a pickup truck in Armstrong and allegedly found suspected cocaine, crack cocaine and fentanyl.
Armstrong OPP say the investigation began shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, after officers received a complaint about suspicious people in a blue pickup truck in the Airport Road area.
Police located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop.
OPP Seize Suspected Cocaine, Crack Cocaine and Fentanyl
Police allege officers subsequently located and seized quantities of suspected cocaine, crack cocaine and fentanyl, along with other items investigators believe are associated with drug trafficking.
Two people were arrested.
Michael McDonald, 36, of Thunder Bay, is charged with:
- possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking;
- possession of an opioid other than heroin for the purpose of trafficking; and
- operation while prohibited under the Criminal Code.
Tristan Smith, 37, of Thunder Bay, is charged with:
- possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking; and
- possession of an opioid other than heroin for the purpose of trafficking.
Both accused were held in custody pending bail hearings before the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay.
Police did not disclose the amounts of the suspected drugs seized.
What the Cocaine and Fentanyl Trafficking Charges Mean
Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking is prohibited under section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Cocaine and fentanyl are Schedule I substances. A conviction for trafficking or possession for the purpose of trafficking involving a Schedule I substance is an indictable offence carrying a statutory maximum of life imprisonment.
That maximum should not be interpreted as the usual sentence.
Canadian courts determine punishment according to the amount and type of drug, the scale of the trafficking operation, the offender’s role, criminal record, Indigenous background where legally relevant to sentencing, guilty pleas, rehabilitation and other aggravating or mitigating factors.
Lower-level offenders or couriers can receive shorter custodial terms depending on the circumstances, while commercial trafficking — particularly trafficking involving fentanyl — can result in multi-year penitentiary sentences. Ontario appellate decisions demonstrate that sentencing remains highly individualized even in fentanyl cases.
The precise sentencing range applicable to these allegations cannot be determined unless and until the facts are established in court.
Operation While Prohibited Charge Explained
McDonald also faces a charge of operation while prohibited.
Under section 320.18 of the Criminal Code, a person commits an offence by operating a conveyance while prohibited from doing so by a Criminal Code order or another qualifying legal restriction.
Section 320.19 provides that operation while prohibited can be prosecuted by indictment, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, or by summary conviction.
Where no different summary penalty is specified, the Criminal Code’s general summary-conviction maximum is two years less a day in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
Sentences for prohibited driving can range from fines and probation in less serious circumstances to incarceration, particularly where an offender has repeatedly breached driving prohibitions or has a significant related criminal record.
Why the Armstrong Location Matters
Armstrong is a small northern community connected to Thunder Bay by Highway 527 and serves as an important access point for communities and activities farther north.
Drug trafficking investigations in smaller and remote northern communities can have an outsized impact because local health, policing and social-service resources are more limited than in larger urban centres.
Fentanyl is particularly concerning because very small quantities can cause fatal overdoses and because people consuming drugs may not know fentanyl is present.
The seizure remains an allegation by police. Laboratory testing and evidence presented through the court process ultimately determine the nature of substances involved.
Police Ask Public to Report Drug Activity
Anyone with information about suspected illegal drug trafficking can contact the Ontario Provincial Police at:
1-888-310-1122
People wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Residents should not confront people they suspect of trafficking drugs or attempt to conduct their own investigation. Information about vehicles, locations, dates or observed activity can instead be provided directly to police.
Charges Have Not Been Proven
The charges against McDonald and Smith are allegations.
Both accused are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
