A SA国际影视传媒渏unior memberSA国际影视传媒� of a Yellowknife-based drug trafficking network convicted of possessing cash generated through the sale of cocaine delivered an emotional apology Monday during a sentencing hearing in NWT Supreme Court.
SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 not a bad person. ISA国际影视传媒檝e just made wrong choices,SA国际影视传媒� said Travis King, fighting back tears as he stood to address Justice Louise Charbonneau in a Yellowknife courtroom.
King, 22, pleaded guilty to possessing the proceeds of crime SA国际影视传媒� under $5,000 SA国际影视传媒� following his arrest in 2017.
King was one of six people charged following an investigation SA国际影视传媒� aided by the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 federal investigations unit SA国际影视传媒� into drug trafficking in the capital that yielded large quantities of cocaine and cash.
On May 31, 2017, covert surveillance teams tracked King and another man, who was driving, as they travelled from a Matonabee North Apartments unit to a campsite at Fred Henne Territorial Park.
Once at the campsite, Mounties moved in. King, according to an agreed statement of facts read in court, attempted to flee the vehicle, but quickly surrendered to police. members forcibly prevented the driver from swallowing several cocaine-filled baggies.
Police found $415 SA国际影视传媒� later admitted as proceeds of crime SA国际影视传媒� on King. Police seized cocaine inside the vehicle and a search of the Matonabee North Apartments unit turned up thousands in cash and cocaine, along with a Winchester shotgun.
King was bound by the conditions of a recognizance at the time of his arrest after being charged in May 2016 with possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He received a 30-month sentence for the offence SA国际影视传媒� he was caught with over 100 grams of cocaine following a traffic stop in Hay River SA国际影视传媒� in June.
King also faces charges related to cocaine trafficking stemming from a November 2017 arrest in Saskatoon.
KingSA国际影视传媒檚 June conviction, along with pending trafficking charges, point to his SA国际影视传媒渟ustained involvement,SA国际影视传媒� in the drug trade, said Crown prosecutor Brendan Green Monday.
Green called for nine to 12 months in custody, recommending King serve the sentence consecutively to his current term.
Green said King played an SA国际影视传媒渁ctive roleSA国际影视传媒� in the illegal outfit, trafficking cocaine for profit, not to feed an addiction. KingSA国际影视传媒檚 involvement in drug trafficking, said Green, only stopped when he was in custody. Green described King as a SA国际影视传媒渏unior memberSA国际影视传媒� of the network, noting he was carrying a relatively small amount of cash when arrested. King, he said, should be sentenced as a drug SA国际影视传媒渞unner.SA国际影视传媒�
KingSA国际影视传媒檚 lawyer Peter Harte recommended a sentence of six months in custody, to be served consecutively. Harte asked Charbonneau to consider the SA国际影视传媒渦nresolvedSA国际影视传媒� childhood trauma of his client, which, he said, has undoubtedly brought King before the courts.
Evoking the words of Justice Karan Shaner, who sentenced King in June, Harte said King is SA国际影视传媒渓iterally struggling to survive.SA国际影视传媒�
King never had a SA国际影视传媒渞eliable or safe home,SA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渉as had no parental guidance in his relatively short life,SA国际影视传媒� stated Shaner in the summer.
SA国际影视传媒淢y life wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 very easy, but I donSA国际影视传媒檛 blame anyone for my decisions,SA国际影视传媒� said King, whose mother and girlfriend sat in the courtroom.
King is the brother of Denecho King, convicted of killing a Yellowknife man and seriously injuring another during a December 2014 sword attack.
SA国际影视传媒�(There are) negative and biased opinions surrounding me, my brother and my family. I would like to break that chain,SA国际影视传媒� said King, telling the court he wants to seek an education and become a law-abiding citizen.
Charbonneau is expected to give her decision on Wednesday.
