Drug Trafficking, Schedule I, Cocaine (Sentencing Cases)

This page was last substantively updated or reviewed January 2024. (Rev. # 93248)

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Case Name	Prv.	Crt.	Sentence	Drug / Quant.	Summary
2023
R v Simon, 2023 QCCQ 436 (CanLII), per Galiatsatos J	QC	PC			Find summaries of case.
R v Boudreau, 2023 NSSC 131 (CanLII), per J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Hickey, 2023 NSSC 33 (CanLII), per Brothers J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Wint, 2023 NSSC 412 (CanLII), per J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Chiasson, 2023 NSSC 144 (CanLII), per Norton J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Thomas-Hodges, 2023 NSPC 7 (CanLII), per Williams J	NS	PC			Find summaries of case.
2022
R v Hickey, 2022 NSSC 235 (CanLII), per Brothers J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
2021
R v Carson, 2021 NSPC 1 (CanLII), per van der Hoek J	NS	PC			Find summaries of case.
2020
R v Heickert, 2020 NSPC 9 (CanLII), per J	NS	PC			Find summaries of case.
R v White, 2020 NSCA 33 (CanLII), per J	NS	CA	18 months CSO		Find summaries of case.
R v Kleykens, 2020 NSCA 49 (CanLII), per Saunders J	NS	CA		141 gr	Find summaries of case.
2019
R v Mugford, 2019 NSSC 127 (CanLII), per J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Chevrefils, 2019 NSPC 16 (CanLII), per Buckle J	NS	PC	10 years imprisonment	250 kg	Find summaries of case.
R v Leblanc, 2019 NSSC 192 (CanLII), per Rosinski J	NS	SC	5 years	210g (7 ounces) cocaine	Street value of between $16,800 - $21,000, over $6,000 cash seized - "firmly within category 3 Fifield (large retailer) - related prior record. Find summaries of case.
R v Murphy, 2019 NSSC 105 (CanLII), per Roskinski J	NS	SC	2 years imprisonment (after remand credit) 2 years probation	6.2 g cocaine	"The offender had been found guilty following a trial of possession of 17 chunks of crack cocaine weighing 6.2 g with an approximate street value of $510-$620. The Court found that he was a street-level trafficker and that this was not a one-time situation. He had an unrelated, but extensive youth and adult criminal record, with several serious property offences and failing to attend court, but only one prior section 4(1) CDSA possession charge... [He] was 35 years old with a 10-year-old son who lived with his parents.... " (Quoting from R v Johnston, 2020 NSPC 12) Find other summaries.
2018
R v Sanchez, 2018 ONSC 1294 (CanLII), per Dunphy J	ON	SC	4.5 years (cocaine) 1 year (oxycodone) 9 months (Psilocybin) 6 months (marijuana)		Find summaries of case.
R v Hobeika, 2018 ONSC 1293 (CanLII), per Dunphy J	ON	SC	7.5 years (cocaine) 1.5 yeras (oxycodone) 9 months (psilocybin) 6 months (marijuana) 1 year (proceeds, laundering)		Find summaries of case.
2017
R v Scharf, 2017 ONCA 794 (CanLII), per curiam	ON	CA	5 years (trafficking) 1.5 years (weapons)	236 gr	The offender was caught trying to flush cocaine down the toilet. Find summaries of case.
R v Carter, 2017 SKQB 74 (CanLII), per Megaw J	SK	SC	18 months imprisonment	1 kg cocaine	"the accused was convicted of one count of possession of cocaine for purposes of trafficking. At the time of sentencing, Ms. Carter was a 53 year old female with no prior criminal record. Following extensive police surveillance, the accused was found to be in possession of one kilogram of cocaine. This was reported by the Crown to have a value of between $60,000.00 and 80,000.00. The cocaine was found in the accused's car following a search. The accused gave evidence at trial, said she did not know there were any drugs in her vehicle much less that amount of cocaine. This was not accepted. There was no indication that she was involved in the trafficking trade or that she used drugs. In this case, she was acting as a courier to retrieve drugs. Ms. Carter’s involvement as a drug courier was considered to be an aggravating factor in this case. Her age, lack of record, and no prior involvement with drug trafficking were all considered to be mitigating factors. She was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment." [1] Find summaries of case.
R v Holland, 2017 NSSC 148 (CanLII), per Wright J	NS	SC	3.5 years imprisonment (drugs) 5 years imprisonment (firearms)	167 g	"The offender had pled guilty to one count of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking contrary to section 5(2) of the CDSA as well as one count of possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition contrary to section 95(1) of the Code. A search of the offender’s apartment located 167 g of cocaine, various drug trafficking paraphernalia and a sizable quantity of cash. They also found a 9 mm handgun with ammunition. ... [He] was 36 years old, single but had one child for whom he was paying child support. His parents had separated at an early age and he was raised by his mother, grandmother, his aunt as well as one year in foster care. He had two years of university education and was gainfully employed as a co-owner of two businesses. ...The Pre-Sentence Report was generally positive, and an important mitigating factor was his guilty plea and acceptance of responsibility. However, as an aggravating factor, he had a criminal record of two prior section 5(2) CDSA trafficking convictions and two prior firearm possession convictions under section 91(1) and section 95(1) Code. For those prior offences, which had occurred about 10 years earlier, he had served about three years in jail." Find summaries of case.
R v Safaye, 2017 MBQB 217 (CanLII), per Greenberg J	MB	SC	4 years imprisonment	4.5 gr cocaine and crack	Find other summaries.
R v Fuller, 2017 ABCA 361 (CanLII), per Rosborough JA	AB	CA	18 months imprisonment	1 gr cocaine	The offender was 30 years old with two children. He had two prior convictions relating to marijuana. Find other summaries.
R v Casey, 2017 NSPC 55 (CanII), per P Williams CJ	NS	PC	Suspended Sentence, 3 years	.23 gr crack cocaine	The offender pled guilty to selling crack cocaine to an undercover officer. He was 21 years old with a prior record for impaired driving. He was involved in community activities. Find other summaries.
R v Felix, 2017 SKCA 16 (CanLII), per Jackson JA	SK	CA			"[T]he accused pled guilty to one count of trafficking in cocaine. The accused was at a bar and was approached by an acquaintance who said two women wanted to meet him. He joined the women and was attracted to one of them. One of the women asked the accused if he had some cocaine. He told her he did not and she asked him if he could get her some. The accused, who was not a user of cocaine, approached someone who gave him a dealer’s phone number. After making contact with the dealer, Mr. Felix went with the women and bought them 1.6 grams of cocaine with $200 supplied by them. The accused did all this to impress one of the women because he was attracted to her. To the accused’s disappointment, the women drove away. The accused retained none of the cocaine and received no money or reward for the transaction. Roughly a week later, one of the women contacted the accused seeking more drugs. He gave her a phone number but did not meet them again and did not acquire any further drugs for them. The women were undercover police officers. He was arrested and charged with one count of trafficking in cocaine. ... The accused was a First Nations person who had suffered many of the Gladue factors. At the time of the offence he was vulnerable. He had no prior criminal record. He was assessed at the 17th percentile to reoffend." [2] Find other summaries.
2016
R v Ameeri, 2016 BCSC 1187 (CanLII), per Kent J	BC	SC	90 days		Find summaries of case.
R v Maynard, 2016 YKTC 51 (CanLII), per Cozens J	YK	Template:TC
R v Lu, 2016 ONSC 292 (CanLII), per Parfett J	ON	SC			"the offender was sentenced on several counts, including possession for the purpose of trafficking. The offences stemmed from a large amount and variety of drugs found in the offender's apartment in 2011, including 522 pills containing fentanyl. The offender had a prior related criminal record, was not an addict, and was trafficking for financial gain. He received a total sentence of five years after credit of seven months for some restrictive bail conditions."[3] Find summaries of case.
R v Webster, 2016 BCCA 218 (CanLII), per Frankel JA	BC	CA	18 months imprisonment	1 kg cocaine	The offender pleaded guilty to possession for the purpose of trafficking. Police were surveilling him and arrested him with about .5 kg of cocaine. His condo had 330 g of cocaine along with drug trafficking paraphernalia such as score sheets, scales, and cash. Find summaries of case.
R v Ovid, 2016 ONSC 2974 (CanLII), per Campbell J	ON	SC	3.5 years imprisonment	305 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Amante, 2016 ONCA 16(*no CanLII links)	ON	CA	7 years imprisonment	1 kg cocaine, and other drugs
R v Buttazzoni and Ramlall, 2016 ONSC 1287 (CanLII), per J	ON	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Ziaee, 2016 BCSC 1293 (CanLII), per J	BC	SC			Find summaries of case.
2015
R v Kaytor, 2015 SKQB 105 (CanLII), per McMurtry J	SK	SC			"the accused was convicted of one count of trafficking cocaine; one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking; and, one count breach of recognizance. At the time of sentencing, Mr. Kaytor was 35 years old. He had a lengthy criminal record, including robbery, possession of a weapon, drug possession, impaired driving and a number of convictions for breaches of court orders. Mr. Kaytor had his GED and various trade certificates. He was employed part-time. His main family support was his mother – he was unmarried and had no children. In regards to the trafficking offence, Mr. Kaytor responded to a police agent seeking to buy cocaine. He sold the undercover police officer one gram of cocaine for $80.00. He was arrested two months after the sale. The remaining offences occurred later. On that date, Mr. Kaytor was stopped by the police in his vehicle. He was arrested for breaching a condition of his recognizance; that he maintain a curfew; and, during a search permitted by his recognizance, the police located five ounces, or 140 grams, of cocaine. The writer of the Pre-Sentence Report indicated that Mr. Kaytor was at high risk to re-offend, due to the following factors: substance abuse, peers, self-management, employment, residence instability, and, his attitude towards offending. At the time of sentencing, Mr. Kaytor had spent the equivalent of 22 months in custody. " [4] Find other summaries.
R v Dunn, 2015 CanLII 18743 (NLSCTD), per Burrage J	NL	SC	2 years less a day CSO	131 grams	The offender had a prior conviction for trafficking in marijuana. He was 26 years old at the time and was supporting his child and mother. Find other summaries.
R v Way, 2015 NSSC 14 (CanLII), per Coughlan J	NS	SC	2 years, 1 month	50g cocaine	The offender was convicted for possession for the purpose of trafficking. The offender was arrested in his vehicle. He had a cell phone and over $700 in cash on him. His residence was searched and they found approximately 50 g of cocaine, scales, dime bags and score sheets. He was 21 years old with a high school education. He had a positive work history. He had no criminal record and family support. Find other summaries.
2014
R v Wilhite, 2014 ABCA 161 (CanLII), per Martin JA	AB	CA	3.5 years imprisonment	8.1 oz	Offender was a drug courier. He was seen taking a package of 8.1 oz of cocaine and 1.2 oz of crack cocaine. Find summaries of case.
R v Oraha, 2014 ONCA 359 (CanLII), per curiam	ON	CA	9 years imprisonment (global)		charged with trafficking MDMA, meth, and cocaine Find summaries of case.
R v Shields, 2014 NSPC 69 (CanLII), per Derrick J	NS	PC			Find summaries of case.
R v Arcand, 2014 SKPC 12 (CanLII), per Daunt J	SK	PC	90 days	32.7 grams	Offender found in residence with cocaine. Admits to selling out of house with her partner. Find other summaries.
R v Fergusson, 2014 BCCA 347 (CanLII), per Frankel JA	BC	CA			Find summaries of case.
R v Melnyk, 2014 ABCA 344 (CanLII), per J	AB	CA		Find summaries of case. ||{{{6}}}
2013
R v D'Onofrio, 2013 ONCA 145 (CanLII), per J	ON	CA			Find summaries of case.
R v Bacon, 2013 BCCA 396 (CanLII), per Chiasson JA {(2:1)	BC	CA			Find summaries of case.
R v Nagy, 2013 BCCA 419 (CanLII), per Groberman JA	BC	CA	4 years	3 kg	found trafficking 1kg and was later caught with 2 kg in vehicle. Appeal of 5.5 years allowed for failure to take totality into account. Find summaries of case.
R v David, 2013 NSSC 83 (CanLII), per Duncan J	NS	SC	4 years, 5 months (global)		Sheriff assists in smuggling in drugs (resin, MDMA, cocaine, prescription drugs) into jail for well-known crime figure Find summaries of case.
R v Field, 2013 NSPC 51 (CanLII), per Derrick J	NS	PC			Find summaries of case.
R v Howell, 2013 NSCA 67 (CanLII), per Beveridge JA	NS	CA	2 years less a day CSO	1 gram	Find summaries of case.
R v Corcho, 2013 ONSC 1779 (CanLII), per Strathy J	ON	SC	6 months CSO	0.27 gr	Find summaries of case.
R v Dexter, 2013 SKQB 18 (CanLII), per Gunn J	SK	SC	13 months imprisonment	11 gr	Find summaries of case.
2012
R v Huynh, 2012 ABQB 483 (CanLII), per Sullivan J	AB	SC	37 months imprisonment	412 gr	commercial retailer Find summaries of case.
R v GT, 2012 MBQB 135 (CanLII), per McKelvey J	MB	SC	36 months imprisonment	30 oz	courier Find summaries of case.
R v Nestbitt, 2012 BCCA 243 (CanLII), per Chiasson JA	BC	CA	2 years less a day CSO	17 kg	youthful--let his residence be used as a stash house, made deliveries Find summaries of case.
R v Marshall, 2012 ABCA 160 (CanLII), per Watson JA	AB	CA	2 years less a day imprisonment	9 oz	Find summaries of case.
R v Brown, 2012 MBQB 29 (CanLII), per Simonsen J	MB	SC	5 years imprisonment	10 oz	attempted to purchase cocaine, gang affiliation. Find summaries of case.
R v Messervey, 2012 CanLII 2507 (NLSCTD), per Goodridge J	NL	SC	$20,000 fine + probation	10 oz	age 55 Find summaries of case.
R v Ducharme, 2012 MBCA 35 (CanLII), per Chartier JA	MB	CA	5 years imprisonment	1 kg cocaine	more than mere courier Find summaries of case.
R v Archibald, 2012 CanLII 11927 (NLSCTD), per Adams J	NL	SC	2 years less a day CSO (JR)	1 lb	cocaine Find summaries of case.
R v Momprevil, 2012 ONCA 209 (CanLII), per curiam	ON	CA	8 years imprisonment	$133k worth	also convicted of assault CBH and poss'n marijuana Find summaries of case.
R v Kum, 2012 ONSC 1314 (CanLII), per Wein J	ON	SC	8 years imprisonment	3 kg	Find summaries of case.
R v Oraha, 2012 ONSC 1439 (CanLII), per Archibald J	ON	SC	9 years imprisonment	3kg	also convicted for trafficking in MDMA and methamphetamine. Find summaries of case.
R v Dew, 2012 MBQB 28 (CanLII), per Burnett ACJ	MB	SC	7 to 12 years	2kg and 10 oz	over three deals, age 55 Find summaries of case.
R v Agecoutay, 2012 SKPC 186 (CanLII), per Cardinal J	SK	PC	15 months CSO	1.5 gr	Offender was remorseful and broke ties from gang. Find summaries of case.
R v McCallum, 2012 SKPC 162 (CanLII), per Harradence J	SK	PC	20 months CSO	$80 worth	Find summaries of case.
R v McIntyre, 2012 SKCA 111 (CanLII), per Richards JA	SK	CA	10 months imprisonment	$280 worth	Offender part of a dial-a-dope operation, caught selling to undercover twice. Find summaries of case.
R v Coss, 2012 MBQB 272 (CanLII), per Greenberg J	MB	SC	4 years	~85 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Peddie, 2012 ABPC 238 (CanLII), per AJ Brown J	AB	PC	2 years less a day CSO	3 small pieces of crack	sold crack to undercover three times Find summaries of case.
R v Ahmed, 2012 ABPC 191 (CanLII), per AJ Brown J	AB	PC	2 years imprisonment	50 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Dzienis, 2012 ONCJ 442 (CanLII), per Cole J	ON	PC	18 month CSO	28.75 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Abdi Fatah Mahamad, 2012 ONSC 3641 (CanLII), per O'Marra J	ON	SC	16 months CSO	6.6 grams	sold crack to undercover officer three times Find summaries of case.
R v Fowler, 2012 SKPC 93 (CanLII), per Harradence J	SK	PC	18 months CSO	10 cc	Find summaries of case.
R v Shawile, 2012 SKCA 51 (CanLII), per Herauf JA	SK	CA	18 months imprisonment	54 grams	overturned CSO Find summaries of case.
R v Shusterman, 2012 BCSC 362 (CanLII), per Romilly J	BC	SC	1 year imprisonment	29 grams	cocaine trafficking Find summaries of case.
R v Carvery, 2012 NSSC 49 (CanLII), per Robertson J	NS	SC	2 years imprisonment	4.4 g	two counts trafficking Find summaries of case.
R v Barrick, 2012 BCCA 83 (CanLII), per Tysoe JA	BC	CA	6 to 7.5 months	2 to 4g	trafficking one two occasions Find summaries of case.
R v Robinson, 2012 ONCA 50 (CanLII), per curiam	ON	CA	12 months imprisonment	-	Find summaries of case.
R v Taylor, 2012 CanLII 1915 (NLSCTD), per Dymond J	NL	SC	16 months CSO		warden smuggling in cocaine into prison Find summaries of case.
2011
R v Qureshi, 2011 ABPC 332 (CanLII), per Malin J	AB	PC	9 to 10 years	1,331 gr cocaine 1,625 gr meth 506 ecstasy tablets	connections with organized crime; loaded guns found Find summaries of case.
R v Burrett, 2011 ONCA 565 (CanLII), per curiam	ON	CA	7 years imprisonment	2.5 kg	The offence occurred over three transactions; joint recommendation; co-accused got 4 years Find summaries of case.
R v Traimany, 2011 MBCA 104 (CanLII), per Chartier JA	MB	CA	60 months imprisonment	1 lb	Find summaries of case.
R v Bryan, 2011 ONCA 273 (CanLII), per curiam	ON	CA	5 to 8 years	1 pound of cocaine	no record; guilty plea Find summaries of case.
R v L.C., 2011 NSPC 35 (CanLII), per Derrick J	NS	PC			Find summaries of case.
R v Tolliver, 2011 NSSC 54 (CanLII), per Kennedy CJ	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Mullins, 2011 SKQB 478 (CanLII), per Zarzeczny J	SK	SC	30 months imprisonment	29.9 g	also had 13,000g of marijuana and $20k+ of cash Find summaries of case.
R v Do, 2011 ABQB 749 (CanLII), per Lee J	AB	SC	30 months imprisonment	.7 grams	cocaine trafficking Find summaries of case.
R v Kane, 2011 NLTD 159 (CanLII), per Faour J	NL	SC	2 years less a day CSO		conspiracy to traffick in cocaine and marijuana Find summaries of case.
R v Pham, 2011 ABQB 647 (CanLII), per Burrows J	AB	SC	2 years less a day CSO		over 10 year old charge Find summaries of case.
R v Simmonds, 2011 NLTD 135 (CanLII), per Goodridge J	NL	SC	7 months, 14 days	32 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Hussseinali, 2011 ABPC 270 (CanLII), per Barley J	AB	PC	1 year imprisonment	.5 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Kassim, 2011 ABPC 266 (CanLII), per Barley J	AB	PC	2 years less CSO	1.2 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Pitts, 2011 NSPC 60 (CanLII), per Whalen J	NS	PC	2 years imprisonment	60 grams	age 31; limited record; diabetes Find summaries of case.
R v Speziale, 2011 ONCA 580 (CanLII), per Armstrong JA	ON	CA	14 months imprisonment	< 15 gr	age 29; appeal from 5 years Find summaries of case.
R v Liparoti, 2011 ABCA 250 (CanLII), per curiam	AB	CA	18 months CSO	small quantity of crack	69 days remand; "exceptional" circumstances Find summaries of case.
R v Gosselin, 2011 NWTTC 15 (CanLII), per Malakoe J	NWT		9 months imprisonment	3 gr	Find summaries of case.
R v Schmidt, 2011 ABCA 211 (CanLII), per curiam	AB	CA	2 years less a day jail		18 mo for two incidents appealed Find summaries of case.
R v Dow, 2011 ABCA 38 (CanLII), per Rowbotham JA	AB	CA	30 months imprisonment	50gr cocaine; other drugs as well	appealed 2 year CSO Find summaries of case.
2010
R v Calanza, 2010 MBQB 240 (CanLII), per Oliphant J	MB	SC	3 years imprisonment	$30k worth	mid-level dealer Find summaries of case.
R v Butt, 2010 NSCA 56 (CanLII), per Bateman JA	NS	CA	5 years imprisonment	1.2 kg cocaine	"The offender had pled guilty to one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine. Police intercepted a package which was destined for Mr. Butt’s home address which contained two one-kg bricks of cocaine of significant purity. A search of his house located an additional 196 g of powdered cocaine. He claimed to be acting only as a middleman for others operating at higher levels in the drug trade to distribute cocaine to local traffickers. ...[He] was 35 years old and had a prior drug conviction with a lengthy criminal record who claimed to have been involved in the drug trade only to feed his addiction to cocaine. He had told the trial judge that he had turned his life around, planned to upgrade his education, was regularly employed, now drug-free and was receiving chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. A post-sentence report indicated that most of what he had told the trial judge was not true and that he had continued to offend up to the month before the sentencing hearing." [5] Find summaries of case.
R v John Preston Kuenzler, 2010 ONSC 4016 (CanLII), per Kiteley J	ON	SC	4 years imprisonment	880.32 g cocaine; 15,348.98 g marijuana other drugs	Find summaries of case.
R v Oddleifson, 2010 MBCA 44 (CanLII), per J	MB	CA			Find summaries of case.
R v Chalifoux, 2010 ABCA 237 (CanLII), per Côté JA	AB	CA	4 years imprisonment	81 grams of cocaine; 180 morphine tablets; 148 grams of marijuana	CSO appealed; Find summaries of case.
R v Conyers, 2010 ABQB 520 (CanLII), per Macleod J	AB	SC	2 years less a day CSO	1.8 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Strickland, 2010 NLTD 2 (CanLII), per Handrigan J	NL	SC	16 months imprisonment	9.6 grams of cocaine; 66 ecstasy pills	Find summaries of case.
2009
R v Switucka, 2009 SKQB 372 (CanLII), per Popescul J	SK	SC		Find summaries of case.
R v Conway, 2009 NSCA 95 (CanLII), per Bateman JA	NS	CA	103g crack cocaine, 264g marihuana	2.5 years imprisonment	"mid to high level retailer" - 65 year old with no prior record. Crown appeal from 2 year conditional sentence. Find summaries of case.
R v Knickle, 2009 NSCA 59 (CanLII), per Roscoe JA	NS	CA	42 months imprisonment	312 g	"The offender had pled guilty to charges of having possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking contrary to section 5(2) of the CDSA and careless storage of a firearm contrary to section 86(1) of the Criminal Code. A search of his residence located almost 312 g (about 11 ounces) of cocaine, three scales, baggies and 19 firearms, four of which were being stored improperly. The street value of the drugs was between $23,000 and $31,000." "The offender was 43 years old, a divorced single parent with two teenaged children, with grade 9 education who had been involved in the fishing industry until he suffered a serious injury. He had no prior criminal record." [6] Find summaries of case.
R v Yakimishyn, 2009 ABQB 162 (CanLII), per Hillier J	AB	SC	10.5 years imprisonment	3kg	Find summaries of case.
R v Byrne, 2009 NLCA 3 (CanLII), per Rowe JA	NL	CA	2 years less a day CSO	280 gr cocaine	age 29 with no record Find summaries of case.
R v Harrison, 2009 ONCA 386 (CanLII), per curiam	ON	CA	12 months imprisonment	8.95 gr cocaine	Find summaries of case.
R v Allison, 2009 NSSC 264 (CanLII), per Cacchione J	NS	SC	30 months imprisonment		Find summaries of case.
R v Walkley, 2009 BCCA 87 (CanLII), per Ryan JA	BC	CA	15 months imprisonment	2 oz cocaine	The offender pleaded guilty to trafficking in cocaine. He had held himself out to be the boss of a dealer who sold 2 oz of cocaine to an undercover officer. He was 21 years old with no criminal record and 23 at the time of sentence. Find summaries of case.
R v Conway, 2009 NSCA 95 (CanLII), per Bateman JA	NS	CA	18 months imprisonment		elderly offender Find summaries of case.
R v Blais, 2009 ABQB 103 (CanLII), per Sullivan J	AB	SC	3 years imprisonment	141 gr of cocaine (part crack part powder)	fully employed, some record for violence and breaches. Find summaries of case.
R v Sampson, 2009 NSSC 165 (CanLII), per Wright J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Balon, 2009 SKQB 233 (CanLII), per Zarzeczny J	SK	SC	12 months CSO	30 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v McDougall, 2009 BCSC 126 (CanLII), per Scarth J	BC	SC	6 months imprisonment and probation	3 gr cocaine	dial-a-dope operation; clean for 2 years Find summaries of case.
R v Chin, 2009 ABCA 226 (CanLII), per J	AB	CA			Find summaries of case.
2008
R v Ruggiero, 2008 ONCA 314 (CanLII), per curiam	ON	CA	41 months imprisonment	2000 pills of ecstasy; 769.22 grams of cocaine, including 517.96 grams of crack	Find summaries of case.
R v Mileos, 2008 BCSC 1833 (CanLII), per Groberman J	BC	SC	42 months imprisonment	Cocaine 52.3 kg	no record; age 43 Find summaries of case.
R v Nero, 2008 ONCA 622 (CanLII), per curiam	ON	CA	8 years imprisonment	3kg	overturned sentence of 5 years; involved three offences: two instances of trafficking 1kg each, and possession of 1 kg for purpose; age 31, unrelated record, guilty plea. Find summaries of case.
R v Hein, 2008 BCCA 230 (CanLII), per Smith JA	BC	CA	44 months imprisonment	6.5 kilos	cooperated with police Find summaries of case.
R v Dubai, 2008 SKCA 49 (CanLII), per J	SK	CA			""a 30-year-old man, with a minor unrelated criminal record, was convicted of possession of cocaine and possession of ecstasy, each for the purpose of trafficking. There was 27.9 grams of cocaine, with a street value of between $2,200 and $2,800 and 500 ecstasy pills valued at $5,000. The sentencing judge imposed two concurrent sentences of 22 months to be served in the community. The Court of Appeal, in setting aside the decision of the sentencing judge, determined that the 22-month conditional sentence was unfit and instead substituted 18 months imprisonment. The Court of Appeal commented that although the sentencing judge stated that he had seriously considered the words of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal in Patryluk, that he, “nevertheless went on to do exactly what this Court said, in very similar circumstances, was an error. In doing so, he violated the principles mentioned above, as well as the principle of parity which requires, by virtue of s. 718.2(b) of the Criminal Code, that a sentence should be similar to sentences imposed on similar offenders for similar offences committed in similar circumstances.”"" Find summaries of case.
R v Hashem, 2008 SKQB 220 (CanLII), per Zarzeczny J	SK	SC	18 months imprisonment	30 g	Find summaries of case.
R v Barrett, 2008 NLCA 23 (CanLII), per Welsh JA	NL	CA	2 years less a day CSO		5 counts trafficking Find summaries of case.
R v Von Hagen, 2008 SKCA 123 (CanLII), per Lane JA	SK	CA	18 mo CSO	4 gr of crack cocaine; 11 gr marijuana	"the offender was 18 years old and had no record. She visited her boyfriend, an inmate at a penitentiary, with four grams of cocaine (street value $360) and 14 grams of marihuana (street value of $200) secreted in a body cavity. She had delivered the drugs under duress and, since the offence, had moved to another city, ended her relationship with the boyfriend and secured full-time employment. The Court of Appeal set aside a jail term and substituted an 18 month conditional sentence." [7] Find summaries of case.
R v Alibhai, 2008 BCSC 1549 (CanLII), per Ehrcke J	BC	SC	9 months imprisonment	22.7 gr of crack cocaine	low level dial-a-dope; some record; no addiction issues Find summaries of case.
R v Klassen, 2008 YKTC 64 (CanLII), per Faulkner J	YK	SC	4 months imprisonment	0.4 g crack	Find summaries of case.
R v Powland, 2008 ABPC 273 (CanLII), per LeGrandeur J	AB	PC	12 months CSO	60 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Draskoczi, 2008 NWTTC 12 (CanLII), per Schmaltz J	NWT		18 months imprisonment	1 gr crack	33 year old; lengthy criminal record including 2 counts of possession for purposes of trafficking Find summaries of case.
R v Dunbar, 2008 NSPC 57 (CanLII), per Derrick J	NS	PC	16 months after 14 mo credit	5.5 gr crack cocaine	long record; low level dealer Find summaries of case.
R v Cheung, 2008 BCSC 1834 (CanLII), per Loo J	BC	SC	1 year CSO	3.4 grams	low level dial a dope operation; Find summaries of case.
R v Johnson, 2008 BCSC 1162 (CanLII), per Barrow J	BC	SC	8 months imprisonment	3.6 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Schoenhals, 2008 BCCA 380 (CanLII), per J	BC	CA			Find summaries of case.
2007
R v Steeves, 2007 NSCA 130 (CanLII), per Oland JA	NS	CA	2.5 years	77g cocaine, 100 ecstasy pills	"amounts in his possession were ….sufficient to take him outside the lower categories of drug traffickers described in R v. Fifield" - minor unrelated prior record. Crown appeal from 2 year conditional sentence Find summaries of case.
R v Steeves, 2007 NSCA 130 (CanLII), per Oland JA	NS		CA	2 years, 6 months	77g coke; 100 ecstasy pills
R v Bowen, 2007 ABCA 40 (CanLII), per Read J	AB	CA	14 months CSO	1 gram	Find summaries of case.
R v Sawatsky, 2007 ABCA 353 (CanLII), per Martin JA	AB	CA	42 months imprisonment		appeals 2 year CSO Find summaries of case.
R v Desjarlais, 2007 NWTSC 23 (CanLII), per Richard J	NWT	SC	12 months imprisonment	21 gr	Find summaries of case.
R v Jaber, 2007 ABCA 383 (CanLII), per Paperny JA	AB	AB	CA	2 years less a day CSO	1 gram
R v Lee, 2007 ABCA 288 (CanLII), per O'Brien JA	AB	CA	2 years less a day CSO	4 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Glasgow, 2007 NSSC 370 (CanLII), per Cacchione J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
2006
R v Epp, 2006 BCCA 570 (CanLII), per Low JA	BC	CA	10 years imprisonment	100 kilos	Find summaries of case.
R v Bremner, 2006 NSSC 367 (CanLII), per Goodfellow J	NS	SC	4 years imprisonment	unknown	Offender was involved in trafficking cocaine while incarcerated. Record: long record with 29 convictions, including those for drugs, violence and breaches Orders: Lifetime firearms prohibition. Comments: sentence is consecutive to sentence currently being served. Find summaries of case.
R v Snow, 2006 ABCA 167 (CanLII), per Costigan JA	AB	CA	5 years imprisonment	53 spitballs of cocaine, 12 oz of hard cocaine, two oz powder cocaine , 6 spit balls of methamphetamine, and one ounce of methamphetamine	Find summaries of case.
R v Lennartsson, 2006 ABCA 189 (CanLII), per Fruman JA	AB	CA			cocaine sold to undercover officer Find summaries of case.
R v Young, 2006 ABPC 94 (CanLII), per Fraser J	AB	PC	2.5 years imprisonment 28 gr	Find summaries of case. ||{{{6}}}
R v Lever, 2006 BCSC 979 (CanLII), per Meiklem J	BC	SC	6 months imprisonment	3.5 gr	Find summaries of case.
R v Johnson, 2006 CanLII 18353 (ON CA), per curiam	ON	CA			possession for purpose of trafficking Find summaries of case.
R v Dodd, 2006 CanLII 1911 (ON CA), per curiam	ON	CA	2.5 years after 9 months remand		Find summaries of case.
R v Lively, 2006 NSSC 274 (CanLII), per Gruchy J	NS	SC	25 months imprisonment	15 gr	Find summaries of case.
R v Turner, 2006 NWTSC 6 (CanLII), per Paul J	NWT	SC	11 months imprisonment	1 gr crack	22 year old; no criminal record Find summaries of case.
R v Gibbon, 2006 BCCA 219 (CanLII), per Ryan JA	BC	CA	4 years imprisonment		Find summaries of case.
R v Saari, 2006 BCCA 288 (CanLII), per Levine JA	BC	CA	crack cocaine	low-level dial a dope Find summaries of case. ||{{{6}}}
R v Do, 2006 BCCA 492 (CanLII), per Ryan JA	BC	CA	8 months imprisonment		Find summaries of case.
R v Kerr, 2006 BCPC 144 (CanLII), per Ellan J	BC	PC	15 months imprisonment		dial-a-dope cocaine Find summaries of case.
2005
R v Vautour, 2005 NBQB 417 (CanLII), per McLellan J	NB	SC	3 years imprisonment	10 oz cocaine	Find summaries of case.
R v Patel, 2005 BCPC 442 (CanLII), per Couto J	BC	PC	2 years imprisonment	1.8 kilo cocaine plus pills	Find summaries of case.
R v Sparks, 2005 NSSC 175 (CanLII), per Moir J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Coombs, 2005 NSSC 90 (CanLII), per Cacchione J	NS	SC	12 months CSO	50 g crack	Find summaries of case.
2004
R v Szczerba, 2004 ABCA 301 (CanLII), per Fruman JA	AB	CA	10 oz cocaine	30 months imprisonment	Find summaries of case.
R v Messervey, 2004 NSPC 58 (CanLII), [2004] N.S.J. No 520 (PC), per Tufts J	NS	PC	2 years less a day CSO	"small amounts"	"The accused in Messervey was 21 years old, had no prior record, and over a period of four days acted as a courier delivering small amounts of cocaine for which he received no share in the profit. In the two years between the date of the offence and the sentencing he had abided by the terms of his release and commenced an employment training course, all of which led the sentencing judge to conclude that there were exceptional circumstances justifying a two-year less a day conditional sentence. " [8] Find summaries of case.
R v Bui, 2004 CanLII 7201 (ON CA), [2004] OJ No 3452 (CA), per curiam	ON	CA	18 months imprisonment	7 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Panousis, 2004 ABCA 211 (CanLII), per Fraser CJ (2:1)	AB	CA	2 years less a day CSO	6 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Shaw, 2004 ABPC 217 (CanLII), per AJ Brown J	AB	PC	2 years less a day CSO	.55 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Aitken, 2004 BCCA 411 (CanLII)	BC	CA	15 months		Find summaries of case.
R v Wong, 2004 ABCA 260 (CanLII), per J	AB	CA			Find summaries of case.
R v To, 2004 ABCA 197 (CanLII), per J	AB	CA	3.5 years		Find summaries of case.
2003
R v McCrae, 2003 ABPC 93 (CanLII), per Sully J	AB	PC	15 months imprisonment	90 grams	18 year old with no record Find summaries of case.
R v Klyne, 2003 SKPC 95 (CanLII), per Snell J	SK	PC	2 years less a day CSO	5 oz	trafficked to undercover officer 8 times. Also trafficking in 20gr of marijuana Find summaries of case.
R v Keizer, 2003 NSSC 128 (CanLII), per Wright J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Macias, , [2003] OJ No 5564 (S.C.)(*no CanLII links)	ON	SC	5 years imprisonment	1.3 kg	no record, deep remorse, no personal remuneration
R v McCrae, 2003 ABPC 93 (CanLII), per Sully J	AB	PC	15 months imprisonment	4 ounces of crack cocaine	Find summaries of case.
R v Bajada, 2003 CanLII 15687 (ON CA), 173 CCC (3d) 255, per Weiler JA	ON	CA	6 years	0.5 Kg cocaine	age 51; long record Find summaries of case.
R v Ma, 2003 ABCA 220 (CanLII), per J	AB	CA	3 years
2002
R v Dann, 2002 NSSC 237 (CanLII), per MacDonald ACJ	NS	SC	4.5 years imprisonment	300 g	"The offender was found guilty following a trial of possessing 300 g of powdered cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. The offender was 27 years old, engaged to be married and did not have an extensive prior criminal record, although there was a prior conviction for possession of narcotics. The Court accepted a joint recommendation for a 4 ½ year sentence of imprisonment and noted that the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal had “consistently emphasized the need for general deterrence” as the primary consideration in the sentencing of a drug trafficker" [9] Find summaries of case.
R v DEM, 2002 NWTSC 89(*no CanLII links)	NW	SC	30 months imprisonment	10 oz cocaine	admits to being courier; 18 years old
R v Pankewich, 2002 SKCA 7 (CanLII), per Jackson JA	SK	CA	2 years less a day imprisonment	10 oz / 1 lb	two co-accused Find summaries of case.
R v Henderson, 2002 ABQB 442 (CanLII), per Burrows J	AB	SC	3.5 years imprisonment	1 kg and 40 oz	gun present; courier; on bail for 5 years Find summaries of case.
R v Chaves, 2002 SKQB 4 (CanLII), [2002] S.J. No 63 (S.C.), per McLellan J	SK	SC	2 years less a day CSO	1 lb and 10 oz	large commercial enterprise; middleman; no record Find summaries of case.
R v Tokic, 2002 NSSC 54 (CanLII), per Murphy J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Dawe, 2002 NSCA 147 (CanLII), per Hamilton JA	NS	CA	15 months imprisonment	4 grams cocaine and 200g hashish	Find summaries of case.
R v Salih, 2002 ABPC 106 (CanLII), per Semenuk J	AB	PC	2 years less a day CSO	4.5g	not addict; knife present Find summaries of case.
R v Sudsbury, 2002 NSSC 77 (CanLII), [2002] NSJ No 137, per McDougall J	NS	SC	2 years less a day CSO		chronic depression; positive PSR Find summaries of case.
R v Fung, 2002 CanLII 46191 (MB PC), [2002] MJ No 322, per Rubin J	MB	PC	2 years less a day CSO	226 g of crack	courier; gambling debt; no record; family Find summaries of case.
R v Gronau, 2002 ABQB 511 (CanLII), [2002] AJ No 928, per Johnstone J	AB	SC	2 years less a day CSO	60 g	no record, working, good PSR   Find summaries of case.
R v Petrovich, 2002 ABPC 92 (CanLII), [2002] AJ No 728 (PC), per Semenuk J	AB	PC	2 years less a day CSO	4.5 gr	4 incidents no addiction; youthful; family support; good PSR Find summaries of case.
R v Evans, 2002 ABPC 74 (CanLII), per Daniel J	AB	PC	2 years less a day CSO	1.5 g	family support, no record, youthful, stopped selling before arrested Find summaries of case.
R v Taleb, 2002 ABPC 130 (CanLII), per Fradsham J	AB	PC	2 years less a day CSO	3 g crack	5 transactions, commercial dealing; unrelated record; good PSR Find summaries of case.
2001
R v Clough, 2001 BCCA 613 (CanLII), per Donald JA	BC	CA	12 month CSO	9 oz cocaine	Find summaries of case.
R v Gray, 2001 NSSC 195 (CanLII), per Goodfellow J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
R v Nguyen, 2001 BCCA 624 (CanLII), per Ryan JA	BC	CA	5 months imprisonment	3.5 grams of cocaine	Find summaries of case.
R v Rahime, 2001 ABCA 203 (CanLII), per curiam	AB	CA	18 months CSO	3g cocaine	multiple transactions; no record; addiction history; 10 g in simple possession Find summaries of case.
R v Provo, 2001 NSSC 189 (CanLII), per M MacDonald ACJ	NS	SC	2 years less a day CSO	crack	Find summaries of case.
2000
R v Salazar, [2000] OJ No 4974(*no CanLII links)	ON	?	8 mo. CSO	8 oz
R v Trinh, 2000 ABCA 231 (CanLII), per J	AB	CA	4 years		Find summaries of case.
R v Malcolm, [2000] OJ No 4309 (ONCA)(*no CanLII links)	ON	CA	6 months imprisonment	0.9 grams
R v Kozma, 2000 BCCA 440 (CanLII), per Newbury JA	BC	CA	2 years less a day CSO		Find summaries of case.
R v Downey, 2000 NSCA 110 (CanLII), [2000] NSJ No 311 (NSCA), per Roscoe JA	NS	CA	3 years imprisonment		Find summaries of case.
1999
R v Lobon-Valencia, 1999 BCCA 315 (CanLII), per Goldie JA	BC	CA	three years after remand time	6 kilos of cocaine	Find summaries of case.
R v Ellrodt, 1999 BCCA 57 (CanLII), per Southin JA	BC	CA	2 years less a day CSO	quarter pound of cocaine	Find summaries of case.
R v Talbot, 1999 CanLII 900 (NS SC), 176 NSR (2d) 316 (SC), per Kelly J	NS	SC			Find summaries of case.
1998
R v Aguilera, 1998 CanLII 4115 (ON CA), 105 OAC 366 (CA), per curiam	ON	CA	6 years imprisonment	3 kg	no record, considered the “lower end” of the range Find summaries of case.
R v Mong, 1998 CanLII 4899 (BC CA), per Prowse JA	BC	CA	3 years imprisonment	17.8 oz cocaine	Find summaries of case.
R v Meggo, 1998 CanLII 3772 (ON CA), [1998] OJ No 3452 (ONCA), per curiam	ON	CA	18 months imprisonment	7 grams	Find summaries of case.
R v Charlie, 1998 CanLII 4446 (BC CA), per Huddart JA	BC	CA	3 months imprisonment	crack cocaine $70 worth	Find summaries of case.
1997
R v Bui, 1997 CanLII 3394 (BC CA), per Hall JA	BC	CA	2 years less a day imprisonment	27 oz cocaine	Find summaries of case.
1996
R c Robillard, 1996 CanLII 5984 (QC CA), per curiam	QC	CA	16 years imprisonment	1,454 kg cocaine 1,730 kg resin	convicted of importing possession, and trafficking of "enormous" qualities of drugs Find summaries of case.
1993
R v Stokes, 1993 NSCA 195 (CanLII), per Roscoe JA	NS	CA		approximately 6 ounces of cocaine	sold cocaine to undercover officer. "more than a petty retailer". He had a lengthy prior record Find summaries of case.
R v Sparks, 1993 CanLII 3122 (NS CA), [1993] NSJ No 448, per Chipman JA	NS	CA	32 months imprisonment		four incidents of trafficking, "extreme" record, age 23 Find summaries of case.
R v Robins, 1993 CanLII 3205 (NS CA), 121 NSR (2d) 254, per Clarke CJ	NS	CA	18 months imprisonment	23.57 g	Find summaries of case.
1992
R v Smith, 1992 NSCA 73 (CanLII), per Matthews JA	NS	CA	5 years imprisonment	28.75g crack cocaine, 372g powder cocaine	Find summaries of case.
1991
R v Carvery, 1991 CanLII 2475 (NSCA), per Freeman JA	NS	CA	5 years imprisonment	184 g (6.5 oz)	An appeal from sentence of 3 years. Find summaries of case.
1990
R v Cavuoti, , [1990] OJ No 17 (CA)(*no CanLII links)	ON	CA	6 years imprisonment	5 lb (2.27kg)
R v Huskins, 1990 CanLII 2399, , [1990] NSJ No 46 (NSCA), per MacDonald JA	NS	CA	3 years imprisonment	4 grams	age 42, 29 prior convictions Find summaries of case.
R v Smith, 1990 CanLII 2388 (NS CA), [1990] NSJ No 30 (NSCA), per Hart JA	NS	CA	4 years imprisonment	2 oz	sold to undercover twice, 2 years for each incident, age 35 Find summaries of case.
R v Lessard, 1990 CanLII 3102 (QC CA), 59 CCC (3d) 123, per Nichols JA (2:1)	QC	CA	2 years imprisonment		age 24; no prior record Find summaries of case.
1989
R v Byers, 1989 CanLII 200 (NS CA), [1989] NSJ No 168 (NSCA), per Hart JA	NS	CA	3 years imprisonment	6 grams	"The offender had pled guilty to 2 separate sales of 1 g of cocaine and, on the second occasion, 4 grams of cocaine to an undercover officer. The trial judge had ordered one-year consecutive for each of the offences for a total of two years imprisonment. The Court of Appeal noted, at page 3, that cocaine is a “highly addictive substance” and that it was necessary “to give warning to all those greedy persons who deal in the supply and distribution of the narcotic cocaine that more severe penalties will be imposed even when relatively small amounts of the drug are involved.” The sentence was varied to be 18 months on each of the two counts consecutive for a total of three years in prison." [10] Find summaries of case.
R v Downey, [1989] NSJ No 368 (NSCA)(*no CanLII links)	NS	CA	18 months imprisonment	4.5 grams
1981
R v Aikens, [1981] 33 NBR (2d) 630 (NBCA)(*no CanLII links)	NB	CA	6 months imprisonment	15.3 gr
R v Maskell, 1981 ABCA 50 (CanLII), 58 CCC (2d) 408, per Moir JA	AB	CA	3 years imprisonment		see para 20 Find summaries of case.
1978
R v Fifield, 1978 CanLII 812 (NS CA)	NS	CA			Find summaries of case.
R v Malanca, 2007 ONCA 859 (CanLII), per Laforme J	ON	CA			Find summaries of case.
R v Majnoon, 2009 ONCA 876 (CanLII), per J	ON	CA			Find summaries of case.

other cases

• Cormier v. R., 2018 NBCA 38 (CanLII), <https://canlii.ca/t/hsw86>

Special Circumstances Digests

Couriers and Other Parties

Case Name	Prov.	Crt.	Sentence	Drug / Quant.	Summary
R v Jenkins, 2008 BCPC 286 (CanLII), per Galati J	BC	PC	40 months imprisonment	11 kg	acting as courier Find summaries of case.
R v Brown, 2006 ABCA 339 (CanLII), per O’Brien JA	AB	CA	5.5 years imprisonment		Find summaries of case.
R v Grossman, 1998 CanLII 2432 (BC SC), [1998] BCJ No 63 (S.C.), per Romilly J	BC	SC			Find summaries of case.

Conspiracy

Case Name	Prov.	Crt.	Sentence	Drug / Quant.	Summary
R v DiQuinzio, 2014 BCCA 125 (CanLII), per Frankel JA	BC	CA	12 years imprisonment		tried to buy 50 kg of cocaine from an undercover officer Find summaries of case.
R v Kane, 2012 NLCA 53 (CanLII), per Welsh JA	NL	CA	2 years less a day		Find summaries of case.
R v Wong, 2005 ABPC 72 (CanLII), per McDonald J	AB	PC	4.5 years imprisonment		drugs and guns Find summaries of case.