Medicine Hat man arrested in Hinton on drug trafficking, weapons offences
By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on April 27, 2022.
https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews A Hat man is in custody in Hinton charged with trafficking a large amount of methamphetamine and weapons offences. Mounties in northeast Alberta say they arrested James Fredrick Benard, 29, of Medicine Hat, and another man on Monday morning after pulling over a vehicle on Highway 40 that was later found to be stolen. A search found 16 ounces of meth, one ounce of fentanyl, two sawed-off shotguns, a prohibited magazine, and other weapons and break-in tools. “This is a significant quantity of methamphetamine that has been removed off our streets,” said acting detachment commander Sgt. Graham Gurski. Benard and Donald Benjamin Birnie-Brown, 39, of Three Hills, are each charged with two counts of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of stolen vehicle. Police say the vehicle was taken from its owner in Cochrane, Alta. Their next court appearance is scheduled for May 4 in Hinton. 9-8
