A Fort Resolution mother who supplied cocaine to South Slave street dealers as a SA国际影视传媒渢rustedSA国际影视传媒� member of Norman HacheSA国际影视传媒檚 illicit enterprise received a three-year sentence Friday, despite pleas not to be separated from her young children.
Lacey Forrest, 35, pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to traffic cocaine. She was one of close to 30 people arrested as part of Project Green Manalishi, an investigation into drug trafficking in the territory and its capital.
Between Feb. 29 and March 17, 2016, Forrest conspired with Hache SA国际影视传媒� the leader of one of two drug operations targeted in the sweeping probe SA国际影视传媒� Dolapo Bode-Harrison, Devon Herback and Mike Dunn to traffic, and possess for the purpose of trafficking, cocaine in Yellowknife and Fort Resolution, the court heard.
Under the direction of Hache and Bode-Harrison, who both oversaw the movement of drugs into the territory from Alberta, Forrest received and stored large amounts of cocaine. Forrest then distributed the drugs to dealers, making deliveries to Hay River and Fort Smith.
She collected cash from street-level dealers which was sent to Hache in Yellowknife.
In the first of 10 wiretapped phone calls played in court, Forrest was heard calling Hache, a longtime friend, from the Hay River airport on March 3, 2016.
Twenty minutes later, Forrest called Hache back. SheSA国际影视传媒檇 received the delivery SA国际影视传媒� eight ounces of cocaine and four ounces of crack cocaine. Five days later, ForrestSA国际影视传媒檚 husband hand-delivered over $13,000 to Hache after flying to Yellowknife.
Forrest was arrested on March 16, 2016 after Mounties followed Herback as he travelled with cocaine destined for Fort Resolution. Police found 363.5 grams next to HerbackSA国际影视传媒檚 truck as he sat in ForrestSA国际影视传媒檚 driveway. Mounties seized over $8,000 and drug debt lists found inside her home. Both were arrested but released to maintain the integrity of Project Green Manalishi.
A month later, executed a series of search warrants, arresting Hache, Forrest and dozens more.
Prosecutor Duane Praught said Forrest was SA国际影视传媒渙ne degree away from Hache,SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� an upper tier player in the organization who was relied on and trusted. Praught said Forrest engaged in the wholesale trafficking of cocaine by moving SA国际影视传媒渙unces and ounces,SA国际影视传媒� of cocaine to communities south of the lake.
Forrest's lawyer, Steven Fix, painted a starkly different portrait of his client's involvement in the outfit. Fix said Forrest agreed to help her friend, Hache, initially, but had decided to end her involvement by the time Herback arrived at her house.
Fix asked the court to consider a suspended sentence, along with community service and 12-months house arrest followed by probation SA国际影视传媒� a sentence that would allow Forrest to remain with her children, including her three-month-old baby. Praught called for a three-year sentence, which was accepted by Justice Virginia Schuler.
Schuler said there was no indication, based on wiretaps, that Forrest planned to sever ties with the organization.
She called Forrest a SA国际影视传媒渢rusted associateSA国际影视传媒� within the outfit, not at the top, but not a street-level player, either.
Schuler weighed ForrestSA国际影视传媒檚 background and circumstances SA国际影视传媒� including a SA国际影视传媒渄ifficultSA国际影视传媒� upbringing and the impact of the residential school system SA国际影视传媒� with the aggravating factors of the case, including the SA国际影视传媒渄evastating effectsSA国际影视传媒� of cocaine in Northern communities.
SA国际影视传媒淵ou must have thought about what would happen if you were caught,SA国际影视传媒� said Schuler, referring to Forrest being separated from her children. SA国际影视传媒� Unfortunately you chose to take that risk,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Forrest must provide a DNA sample and is barred possessing firearms for 10 years after her release.
