Drug trafficker gets custodial sentence
By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on July 14, 2023.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com A 31-year-old Edmonton man who came to Lethbridge in 2021 to sell drugs, will get to serve a custodial sentence in his home rather than jail.Joshua Middleton pleaded guilty Thursday in Lethbridge court of justice to two counts of drug trafficking and was handed a conditional sentence of two years less one day, the first eight months of which he will be under house arrest. He will also be subject to a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day during the next eight months of his sentence.
Court was told Lethbridge police received information from a number of sources that five people were travelling to Lethbridge from Edmonton to sell cocaine. Informants told police the group was operating in shifts, and provided street names, the identification of certain vehicles and cellphone numbers to contact the drug traffickers.
“The entire operation ran from March of 2021 through to October of 2021, and as it evolved, five different individuals were identified as targets,” said Crown Prosecutor Mark Klassen. “One of the targets was Mr. Joshua Middleton.”
In April 2021, an undercover police officer involved in “Operation Phoenix” called one of the cellphone numbers and arranged to buy cocaine from Middleton on April 29 and 30. On both occasions the officer bought two grams of the drug for $200.
The Crown and defence recommended the conditional sentence, despite the normal starting point of three years in prison for drug trafficking.
“This was clearly commercial drug trafficking on more than a minimal scale,” Klassen said. “That attracts the…three-year starting point. It was organized and arguably it’s aggravated by the fact the commercial operation itself was essentially brought into Lethbridge by people from outside of the city, and therefore inflicting harm in that local community of Lethbridge by people who don’t reside there.”
Klassen pointed out, however, Middleton offered a guilty plea, saving the time and expense of running a lengthy and complicated trial.
“The investigation was substantial, involving a number of officers,” he said, adding it was complex and involved a number of witnesses and a substantial amount of evidence. Klassen also said Middleton does not have any previous convictions for drug trafficking, and a pre-sentence report indicates he would not pose a threat to others if he was allowed to serve his sentence in the community.
Defence counsel Rahul Nanda told court Middleton became involved in drug trafficking after he started to abuse drugs himself.
“What had happened was that as soon as he abused drugs he fell into some debt and met some people he should not have been around,” Nanda said. “He’s been sober since the incident…he does not drink alcohol, he does not use drugs anymore, it’s something he’s going to steer clear of the rest of his life.”
As part of his sentence, Middleton must also adhere to numerous conditions, which include living at an approved residence in Edmonton and not leaving Alberta. Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter 4
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