First time draws big time for drug dealer

Man doesn’t object to 3½ years

A young man with a previously clean slate is headed to prison after police in Regina busted his drug business.

Devon Leo Cote was sentenced to 3½ years in prison after pleading guilty to a raft of drug charges this week in Regina Provincial Court.

“It’s unfortunate when someone has to go to the penitentiary,” Judge Clifford Toth told the 25-year-old first-time offender. However, the judge noted the number of people who suffer because of drugs supplied by people like Cote.

“It’s the price you have to pay,” he added.

Cote pleaded guilty Thursday to four counts of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of possession of property (cash) worth less than $5,000 that was obtained by crime.

Cote first came to the attention of police late last year when he went to pick up a package, shipped by a legitimate courier service, and addressed to him, prosecutor Hal Wellsch, agent for the federal Crown told court. The package contained three mason jars filled with hash oil, and Cote was carrying a large wad of cash.

The next day, on Dec. 11, 2013, police searched his residence and turned up 12 pounds of marijuana, split between two bags. Texts on his cellphone suggested he was involved in arranging drug deals with someone in British Columbia.

Cote’s legal woes only worsened when Regina police executed a search warrant at a house in the 800 block of Athol Street. Officers discovered what was described as a significant amount of cocaine — nearly two kilograms — stuffed in a backpack kept in an attic area, almost seven pounds of marijuana in sealed packages, and more cash.

At the time of the search, police had reported that an assault rifle was also discovered. Weapons charges against Cote were stayed.

Any money seized was forfeited.

The defence agreed with the sentence proposed by the Crown, and made no further submissions in court.