Crown issues stay for woman charged after January drug bust

A stay of proceedings was issued by the Crown for charges laid against one of the five people arrested following a drug bust in early January.

Jade Arcand, 19, appeared before court Thursday with the Crown bringing forward the stay — which halts legal proceedings against her for the time being.

Arcand was one of five arrested and charged following an ALERT investigation, where police seized 45 grams of meth, worth an estimated $4,500, packaging materials such as a digital scale, pepper spray, brass knuckles, a Colt Python .357 handgun and $820 cash proceeds of crime.

Arcand was charged with two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon, possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime, careless storage of a firearm and knowingly possessing a restricted firearm.

The Crown has one year to reinitiate charges or they will automatically be withdrawn.

Co-accused Wyatt Dickson also appeared in court Thursday, with his counsel requesting an adjournment to April 20, with the hopes of resolving his charges then. Dickson was charged with five counts of trafficking, two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, possessing proceeds of crime, possessing a prohibited weapon, possessing a restricted firearm and careless storage of a firearm.

Another co-accused, Jeremy Leddy, entered not-guilty pleas in February to one count of trafficking and one count of possession of proceeds of crime, with a trial set for October. Another co-accused, Etheen Joseph Friesen, 33, entered guilty pleas to the charges on Jan. 26. and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail. Kenzie Anderson, 28, entered guilty pleas and was sentenced Jan. 19 to time served for breaches of release.