Man sentenced for drug trafficking
A Lethbridge man who says he has been addicted to drugs for at least 10 years, was sent to jail for several months after he was caught with drugs and stolen property.
Cory Bruce Hagan pleaded guilty Monday in Lethbridge provincial court to single counts of drug possession and theft under $5,000, and two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000. He had also pleaded guilty last November to one count of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was sentenced on all charges to six months in jail, prohibited for life from possessing weapons, and ordered to submit a sample of his DNA for the National DNA Databank.
Court was told that on Dec. 17, 2017 police were called to a drug overdose at a city hotel. When they arrived they found a man in “medical distress.” A woman who was also in the room told police that just before she called for help, she called two men who removed personal items belonging to the overdose victim.
Police watched surveillance footage from the hotel and determined Hagan had been in the room before police arrived but left with a large duffel bag. Police suspected the bag contained drugs that had been in the hotel room. Hagan then left the area in the vehicle owned by the man who overdosed.
Police discovered Hagan was staying at another hotel in Lethbridge, and the next day at about 1 p.m. they found the vehicle in the parking lot. They arrested Hagan as he was leaving a room with a bag they believed was the same bag Hagan had the day before. Police searched the vehicle, as well, and found on the back seat a lock box containing 28 grams of fentanyl.
“Hagan admits that he possessed the fentanyl on behalf of others and that he was not going to sell the fentanyl but rather was waiting for instructions to return the fentanyl to the drug overdose victim or someone on his behalf,” Federal Crown prosecutor Mark Klassen explained.
Hagan was also caught with drugs Jan. 12 after police, who knew he was wanted on warrants, saw him riding a bike in the downtown area. He was arrested and during a search police found 1.5 grams of fentanyl.
The charges of theft and possession of stolen property stem from an incident Nov. 8 of last year when Hagan was caught leaving a department store with a bag of items for which he had not paid. He also had two stolen bank cards, which he had used to make small purchases.
Defence told court Hagan suffers from longstanding drug addictions, but hopes to dry out while in custody so he can move on with his life once he’s released.
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