A 小蓝视频 Supreme Court judge has sentenced a Richmond man who pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl and cocaine for the purpose of trafficking to more than 11 years in prison.
Justice Andrew Majawa passed sentence on Jason Thomas Howard Conrad, 45, after receiving a joint submission from Crown and defence lawyers.
Conrad's 455 days of pre-sentence custody meant he received 683 days of credit against his 11鈥憏ear sentence. The sentence left to serve is nine years, one month and 20 days.
The investigation
Majawa said a police investigation beginning in January 2023 targeted a Richmond home on McLeod Court.
“Ultimately, that home was searched and police confirmed that it was being used to produce fentanyl,” Majawa said.
“The quantity of fentanyl in this case can be fairly described as enormous,” Majawa said. “The 15.6 kilograms of fentanyl was of a high purity and it would almost certainly have destroyed a very large number of lives.”
The judge said Conrad was first observed at the McLeod Court home on Jan. 25, 2023.
He was again observed attending the home on Feb. 7, 2023, arriving carrying nothing, and departing carrying a backpack that appeared to be full and weighted.
Police followed him to an underground parkade in Coal Harbour where Conrad met with an unknown male.
Majawa said Conrad was again observed at the McLeod Court residence the next day.
“This time he arrived carrying what looked like an empty black duffel bag. He left the property empty handed,” Majawa said.
On March 21, 2023, Conrad was at the McLeod property again, this time carrying a canvas bag that appeared lightly weighted. He left carrying a heavy looking shopping bag.
“Mr. Conrad was arrested and the shopping bag was found to contain 15.6 kilograms of fentanyl that was 68 to 79 per cent pure,” Majawa said. “The bag emitted a very strong chemical order, and he was also carrying three cellphones.”
When police searched the McLeod Court residence later that day, they found a bag like the one Conrad was seen carrying earlier.
“That bag contained $38,700 in bundled cash,” Majawa said.
$47,000 found in Tesla
“Conrad's Tesla was also searched and $10,000 cash in $100 bills was found in the centre console. In the trunk of the Tesla was $37,800 cash in a shopping bag, and underneath the cash were two one-kilogram bricks of cocaine that were 92 to 94 per cent pure,” Majawa said.
Also found in the car were two cellphones and a conducted energy weapon described as a jolt stun baton.
As for the fentanyl, Majawa said it was highly pure and would be diluted before sale.
"The fentanyl was in bulk quantities and of such a purity that it obviously came directly from the production source," the judge said.
He said a typical user would use approximately 0.1 grams of fentanyl at a time.
“The number of doses to be produced from the nearly 16 kilograms of fentanyl that Mr. Conrad was involved in trafficking is nothing short of staggering,” the judge said.
“The pernicious effects of cocaine that erode the health and safety of Canadian communities should also not be overlooked, and the profit that would arise from the eventual street-level sale of the quantities of cocaine and fentanyl in this case are of a very significant magnitude,” Majawa said.
The court heard Conrad has a significant criminal history with 28 convictions: four counts of breaches, 10 counts of property offences, four counts of assaults or offences against a person, five driving offences, and five counts for drug offences.
Majawa said that while Conrad’s moral culpability in the case was high, he found Conrad's involvement was as a courier.
“He provided the necessary labour to transport the fentanyl and cocaine such that it could be introduced into the supply chain,” Majawa said. “However, his role does not reflect any decision鈥憁aking power within any larger organization.”
In 2012, he was sentenced to a seven-year global sentence on cocaine-trafficking convictions.
Broken down, the sentence Majawa passed is 11 years for the possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking and seven years for the possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. The sentences are to be served concurrently.
