Two years in jail for meth dealers

Two Yorkton men have pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking and will serve sentences of two years less a day.

According to federal Crown prosecutor Shane Wagner, police received a complaint from Painted Hand Casino on October 11 about persons using drugs on casino premises. When officers arrived, they found two people in a car in the parking lot smoking meth. A search uncovered two grams of the drug. One of the vehicle’s occupants admitted to purchasing four grams from Antony Millham.

She also provided the RCMP with a text message conversation in which Scott Dobson (32) offered to sell her crystal meth.

The Mounties obtained search warrants for both men’s residences. When they arrived at Millham’s, he and two others, including Dobson, were leaving the home and were arrested.

Subsequent searches of the residences turned up evidence of trafficking including packaged methamphetamine, cell phones, scales and other paraphernalia. Officers also found $1,100 in small bills at Dobson’s home.

Millham pleaded guilty October 19 at which time Judge Patrick Reis ordered a presentence report. During a sentencing hearing December 8, Wagner presented a joint submission recommending two years less a day jail time, which he said was appropriate given the 18 months to four year guidelines set down by the Court of Appeals.

The prosecutor submitted Millham’s lengthy criminal record, but admitted it was mostly unrelated.

Defence attorney Richard Yaholnitsky cited his client’s early guilty plea, serious addiction issues and the presentence report, which outlined socioeconomic circumstances known as “Gladue” factors, as mitigating.

Reis accepted the joint submission of two years less a day giving Millham credit for 87 days in custody, calculated at 1.5 times the time he served in remand. The judge also imposed the mandatory 10-year firearms prohibition and DNA order, as well as granting the Crown’s forfeiture application for the seized items.

Dobson faced sentencing December 13 entering guilty pleas to trafficking, possession of the proceeds of crime and a couple of breaches. Wagner again a joint submission for a sentence identical to Millham’s.

Wagner noted that in Dobson’s case the charge was trafficking by offer, which made him less culpable than Millham, who actually sold the drugs.

Nevertheless, the prosecutor argued sentencing parity was warranted because Dobson’s criminal record was much more serious than Millham’s, included related offences and that Gladue did not apply.

Yaholnitsky again cited the early guilty plea and addiction issues as mitigating.

Reis went along with the joint submission saying given the totality of the circumstances it was “a fit and proper sentence.”

The judge credited Dobson with 95 days time-served.