Two Yorkton men remain in custody following a drug bust on January 16.
Robert Friesen, 30, and Michael Winter, 38, made their first court appearances January 19 facing multiple marijuana and cannabis resin trafficking and possession charges.
Acting on information obtained from executing warrants on a Yorkton business and residence, RCMP members intercepted a delivery destined for the business. The officers seized 14 pounds of marijuana, 36 grams of cannabis resin and more than $6,000 in cash.
Each man is charged with two counts of trafficking, two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, two counts of simple possession and one count of possession of the proceeds of crime.
Winter also picked up two breach charges as he was already on a conditional release on trafficking and possession charges.
On December 22,
Winter appeared in Yorkton court on eight charges of trafficking, five for possession, three for possession of proceeds and two for production of a banned substance. That case was adjourned until January 21, today. Defence attorney Sharon Fox consented to Winter’s remand in order to deal with all the charges at the same time.
Friesen was not, at first, represented by counsel, but argued on his own behalf that as a successful Yorkton businessman for five years and someone who has not been in trouble with the law for 10 years, he should be entitled to release.
Federal prosecutor Shane Wagner opposed that and the judge set the case aside to give Friesen an opportunity to contact his lawyer, who he said was also Fox. After a break, legal aid counsel Fred Fisher appeared as agent for Fox and accepted remand until today.
Prosecutor Shane Wagner requested a bail verification report, which Fisher and his client both opposed. Judge Ross Green did not order the bail report.
Wagner said as far as he knows there is no connection between these arrests and the massive drug and weapons busts made in Saskatoon and seven other cities last week.
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