Man and woman charged with fentanyl drug dealing sentenced for lesser offence
A P.E.I. man with a lengthy criminal record has been fined for drug possession.
Hartley Allen Coleman, 50, and co-accused Sarah Elizabeth Smith, 28, were charged with possession of 2.58 grams of fentanyl for trafficking purposes but instead both pleaded guilty to a lesser offence of drug possession.
With the guilty pleas in place, federal Crown attorney Jacob Zelman told the court that in December 2023, Charlottetown Police Services Street Crime Unit received information from a source that Coleman was selling fentanyl in P.E.I. On Dec. 20, police learned that Coleman had made a drug run to New Brunswick and was planning to return to Charlottetown by bus. Police were waiting when Coleman and Smith exited the bus in Charlottetown. Moments prior to their arrest, police saw Coleman hand a bag to Smith that contained 18 hydromorphone pills. Police also searched Smith's fanny pack and found the 2.58 grams of fentanyl.
Legal-aid lawyer Chris Van Ouwerkerk represented both Coleman and Smith. Van Ouwerkerk explained that the circumstances were that his clients, both drug users, were believed to have been doing something and were arrested. But the amount of fentanyl seized supported that it was for personal use.
Van Ouwerkerk requested a fine for Coleman and a suspended sentence for Smith.
Coleman has a lengthy prior criminal record. Smith did not have a prior criminal record.
Coleman said that he had a prescription for the hydromorphone pills. Coleman denied that he was a drug dealer.
"I'm a drug addict, not a drug dealer," he said.
Coleman also denied that he was in possession of fentanyl but still agreed to plead guilty to the charge rather than have the matter go to trial.
Smith appeared in court in person. Coleman participated in the court appearance by telephone from custody in Shediac, N.B. It wasn't stated in court why Coleman was in jail, but Van Ouwerkerk said his client was expected to be released from custody sometime next week. He added that it wasn't known if Coleman was planning to return to P.E.I. or remain off-island.
Chief Judge Jeff Lantz accepted Van Ouwerkerk's recommendation and fined Coleman $1,000 and a victim surcharge of $300. Smith received a suspended sentence and 12 months of probation.