Toronto resident charged after an Ignace OPP drug investigation and suspected cocaine seizure

IGNACE — An 18-year-old Toronto resident faces drug-trafficking and proceeds-of-crime charges following an Ontario Provincial Police investigation in Ignace.

Police allege officers arrested the accused at a Highway 17 business Monday afternoon and seized suspected cocaine, Canadian currency and items associated with drug trafficking.

Arrest Made at Highway 17 Business

The investigation was led by the Dryden OPP Community Street Crime Unit, with assistance from the North West Region Emergency Response Team and officers from the Ignace OPP detachment.

Members of the Emergency Response Team arrested an individual at approximately 4:40 p.m. on Monday, July 20.

Police said officers seized suspected cocaine, drug-trafficking paraphernalia and an undisclosed amount of Canadian currency. The substances have not been proven to be illegal drugs in court.

As a result of the investigation, Chavon John, 18, of Toronto, has been charged with:
Possession of a Schedule I substance — cocaine — for the purpose of trafficking; and possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000.

None of the allegations has been tested in court.

Accused Remanded for Bail Hearing

The OPP said John was remanded into custody and scheduled to appear for a bail hearing before the Ontario Court of Justice on Tuesday, July 21.

The police release did not provide the outcome of that court appearance.

A bail hearing determines whether an accused person will remain in custody while the case proceeds or be released under court-ordered conditions. It does not determine guilt or innocence.

What the Cocaine-Trafficking Charge Means

Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act prohibits possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. Cocaine is listed as a Schedule I substance under the federal legislation.

The prosecution would have to prove more than simple possession. It would have to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused possessed the substance and intended to sell, distribute, give, transport or otherwise traffic it.

Possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking is an indictable offence carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The current provision does not specify a mandatory minimum sentence.

There is no single standard sentence for cocaine trafficking. Courts consider the amount of drugs, the offender’s alleged role, the commercial scale of the operation, prior convictions, age, rehabilitation prospects and other aggravating or mitigating circumstances.

Published cases illustrate the broad range. The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in R. v. Wong involved a low-level cocaine trafficker who received nine months in custody, while the sentencing record considered in R. v. Parranto included four-year terms for cocaine-trafficking counts in a substantially more serious commercial operation. Those cases are examples only and do not predict the outcome of this prosecution.

A conditional sentence served in the community may be considered only when a court imposes a jail term of less than two years and the statutory public-safety and sentencing requirements are met.

What the Proceeds-of-Crime Charge Means

Section 354(1) of the Criminal Code makes it an offence to possess property or money while knowing it was obtained or derived, directly or indirectly, from an indictable offence.
When the alleged value is $5,000 or less, the charge is a hybrid offence. If prosecuted by indictment, the maximum sentence is two years in custody.

If prosecuted summarily, the general maximum is a $5,000 fine, imprisonment for two years less a day, or both.

Actual sentences can be substantially lower than the maximum and are determined according to the circumstances of the offence and the offender. Canadian sentencing law requires courts to consider proportionality, aggravating and mitigating factors, similar sentences in comparable cases and reasonable alternatives to imprisonment.

Regional Impact of Drug-Trafficking Investigations

Drug-trafficking investigations along Highway 17 are a regional concern because the corridor connects many Northwestern Ontario municipalities and First Nations with larger supply and transportation networks.

An arrest does not establish where suspected drugs originated, where they were intended to be distributed or whether other people were involved. Police did not release information about the quantity or estimated value of the substance seized.

How to Provide Information

Anyone with information about suspected illegal drug trafficking can contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or 1-800-222-TIPS. Tips leading to an arrest may qualify for a cash reward.

Chavon John is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.