Brief, strict release given to man heading to jail in October

A Medicine Hat man was granted a brief release from custody after entering guilty pleas to serious drug trafficking charges.

Aaron Grant Hotchen is a “poor candidate for release,” said the Federal Crown Tuesday at the Medicine Hat Courthouse, but stringent conditions hammered out over the past week has led to the Crown agreeing to release the 52-year-old to put his affairs in order and be with an ill sibling before going to jail for what could be multiple years.

Hotchen entered guilty pleas to two counts of possessing meth for the purpose of trafficking, one count of possessing heroin for the purpose of trafficking, possessing a prohibited firearm, violating the order that prohibited him from having a weapon and two breaches of release conditions.

He was released on $7,500 cash bail, and will be required to abide by a 6 p.m to 9 a.m. curfew at his place of residence. He must report daily to the police between 9 and 11 a.m., to advise them where he is going for the day, and call police in advance if these plans change.

He — and the other three people who live at the residence — are not allowed any visitors, save for Hotchen’s siblings. Hotchen is not allowed to have contact with a long list of individuals, many of whom also face drug-related charges. Release conditions also include Hotchen having to submit to random searches of his person, vehicle and rural property.

Hotchen must turn himself back into custody on Oct. 6, with his sentencing to then take place on Oct. 27.

The agreed statement of facts has been read over and signed by Hotchen, although hasn’t been officially read into the court and accepted by the judge.

Police allege that Hotchen was active in meth trafficking throughout southeast Alberta. He was arrested in Bassano last summer, with 141 grams of meth seized following a search of his vehicle.

He was then arrested in Oct. 2016 at his rural home near Seven Persons. Police seized 49 grams of meth, heroin, and a loaded sawedoff shotgun. Hotchen had a lifetime weapons ban due to previous convictions.

Hotchen was granted bail after both these incidents, but earlier this year was arrested on breaching his release conditions, and the Crown successfully revoked his bail.

Multiple adjournments led to the case being delayed.

Hotchen’s original legal counsel withdrew from the record in mid-January. Not guilty pleas were entered early in the year, while a judge ordered in March that preliminary hearings be set, whether counsel was secured or not.

Those preliminary hearings went ahead on June 26 and Aug. 29 — with defence counsel — and a judge ordered that the cases proceed to trial.