Osama Nawaz was sentenced Tuesday to 16 months in jail for trafficking crack cocaine from Ontario to the NWT.

Osama Nawaz was arrested on July 3, 2019 for trafficking 19.8 grams of cocaine from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to Inuvik. He is also charged with possession of a weapon for having a knife concealed in his pants at the time of the raid.

In delivering his ruling, Territorial CourtSA国际影视传媒檚 Chief Judge Robert Gorin first said he was SA国际影视传媒渘ot sure what to makeSA国际影视传媒� of the 279 hours of community service Nawaz had completed while on bail, but later said he was impressed by the hours.

Gorin said that while has seen counselling taken on ahead of sentencing, he has never had a case where community service was presented as a mitigating factor.

The hours Nawaz has spent, mostly loading boxes and shipments at a Muslim community centre in the GTA, SA国际影视传媒渟peaks volumes to his level of remorse,SA国际影视传媒� Gorin said.

Gorin also noted NawazSA国际影视传媒檚 young age and lack of prior record in his ruling, which fell between Crown and defence lawyersSA国际影视传媒� recommendations.

Gorin characterized the 19.8 grams as SA国际影视传媒渘ot high-level but certainly not insignificant either.SA国际影视传媒�

He said that Crown Prosecutor Jeffrey Major-HansfordSA国际影视传媒檚 submission of 18 months was reasonable, but pointed to the defenceSA国际影视传媒檚 argument that a lengthy period of incarceration could leave the offender worse off rather than assist in his rehabilitation.

Anything less than 16 months, however, Gorin said would not be sending an adequate message of deterrence to others. He emphasized the seriousness of the trafficking offence, telling Nawaz that drug trafficking is not a victimless crime.

SA国际影视传媒淭rafficking in a hard drug can have a devastating effect in communities where itSA国际影视传媒檚 carried out,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 not a victimless crime at all.SA国际影视传媒�

Nawaz told that court that he SA国际影视传媒渢akes full responsibilitySA国际影视传媒� for his actions and hopes to make positive changes once released.