Man accused in drug trafficking bust hopes now for early case resolution
One of several people arrested in June following a drug trafficking investigation had a brief court appearance Tuesday.
Defence counsel for Levi Aebig told the court they have received the bulk of disclosure and are going to look at early case resolution — but are currently awaiting the final drug analysis for one of the substances seized.
Aebig was denied bail in early July, and remains in custody at the Medicine Hat Remand Centre following a bail review hearing held last Thursday. His next appearance is Sept. 15.
Aebig faces four counts of trafficking heroin, four counts of trafficking meth, possessing the proceeds of crime, possessing a prohibited weapon.
These stem from a police investigation where multiple drug purchases were made by an undercover officer throughout May.
He was one of several Hatters arrested in early June as part of a larger drug trafficking investigation.
Also arrested at the time was Jay Brodie, who had a court appearance Tuesday.
Counsel for Brodie adjourned his matter to Sept. 5 to give them time to go over disclosure. Brodie is charged with trafficking meth, possessing proceeds of crime, possessing stolen property, possessing a dangerous weapon and two probation breaches.
Child porn charges
The lawyer for a 32-year-old local man facing child pornography and firearms-related charges asked for an adjournment to Sept. 12.
The adjournment was requested to give defence time to go through disclosure with the accused.
Police say the investigation began in April, when Alberta’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit received a referral from the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a Medicine Hat suspect uploading child pornography to the Internet. Nearly 3,000 images of child pornography were found on electronic devices following the execution of a search warrant July 13, with the devices being sent to ICE’s forensic examiners for a more thorough search.
Police also found a 12gauge sawed-off shotgun when executing the warrant.
Tyler Falkeisen has since been charged with possessing child pornography, accessing child pornography, making child pornography available, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited weapon and unsafe storage of a firearm.
Falkeisen was granted release from custody.
Hospital parking lot robbery
A 26-year-old man accused of robbing and pepper-spraying someone in the local hospital’s parking lot on Aug. 13 appeared briefly in court now that he has a lawyer to represent him.
Defence counsel for Jesse James Leckner adjourned his matter to Aug. 29 to review disclosure and take instruction. Leckner, who is of no fixed address, is in custody at the Medicine Hat Remand Centre.
Medicine Hat police report that in the late afternoon of Aug. 13 a Calgary man was seated in a parked vehicle in the southeast parking lot of the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, when he was approached by a man over the “for sale” sign on his vehicle. The driver allowed the man to sit inside the vehicle. The man allegedly attempted to take the car keys from the driver, and sprayed him with bearspray after driver attempted to end the conversation. The man then fled with the driver’s backpack.
Leckner faces charges of robbery, possession of a weapon, possession of stolen property and threats to cause death.
Stolen BMW
It was a brief appearance Tuesday for a Medicine Hat man arrested on Aug. 19, after police located him and another man with a stolen BMW from Calgary.
Benjamin Schneider appeared by CCTV from the Medicine Hat Remand Centre, with his matter adjourned until Aug. 31.
Schneider was arrested alongside David Paul Dyck, 47, of Calgary, after police began searching the city for the stolen vehicle. Police had received a report from the Brooks RCMP that the vehicle had failed to pull over for them following an assault, as well as there was a report of gas theft in Medicine Hat.
After police located the vehicle, a search of it found stolen IDs and electronics, methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana and bear spray. Police believe most of the stolen items are from the Calgary area.
Both men have been charged with offences including possessing stolen property over $5,000, possessing a weapon, possessing break-in instruments, possessing stolen property under $5,000, and possessing a controlled substance.