Trafficker sent to prison for selling 'poison'
'You're on the wrong path, do you understand that?': Moncton provincial court Judge Troy Sweet
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A man busted with thousands of dollars worth of controlled substances was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison.
“You’re on the wrong path, do you understand that?” asked Moncton provincial court Judge Troy Sweet.
“I know,” said the offender, 48-year-old Kevin Gionet.
“What you’re selling to people, as a drug dealer, is poison,” the judge said moments before Gionet hugged his family and was taken into custody.
The Greater Lakeburn man pleaded guilty in January to possessing methamphetamine and hydromorphone for the purpose of trafficking on Feb. 16, 2021. Prosecutor Melanie Ferron and defence lawyer Alex Pate made a joint recommendation for two years in prison, which is the starting point for trafficking hard drugs in New Brunswick.
Ferron told the court the offender – who has no prior trafficking convictions – was caught with meth and hydro pills that had an approximate street value of $9,000. Pate described him as a “low-level” trafficker.
The RCMP said in a Feb. 17 news release that they executed a search warrant at a residence on Route 132 in Greater Lakeburn, just east of Dieppe, on Feb. 16. Mounties said they seized various types of drugs including crystal methamphetamine and hydromorphone pills, along with ammunition, a prohibited weapon – brass knuckles were depicted in the police photo – contraband cigarettes, money and drug-trafficking paraphernalia.
A 45-year-old man was arrested and later released pending a court appearance.
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