Accused in massive drug bust may be headed to trial
By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on August 23, 2023.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com A 34-year-old man accused in one of the city’s largest drug busts, and who had hoped to resolve the case without going to trial, may be heading there, anyway.During a hearing last April, defence requested an adjournment to allow more time to review disclosure and have resolution discussions with the Crown. However, during a brief hearing last week in Lethbridge court of justice, the judge was told the accused, Patrick Rodney Jr., is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Jan. 11-12, 2024.
Preliminary hearings, or inquiries, are typically held to determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant proceeding to trial in Court of King’s Bench.
On Dec. 20 of last year ALERT Lethbridge’s organized crime team and the Lethbridge Police Service seized more than $1 million worth of drugs and cash, after searching two vehicles, a home in the London Road area and a garage in the neighbourhood of Winston Churchill High School.
Police reportedly found four firearms, including a prohibited sawed-off shotgun and a loaded handgun that had been reported stolen from Redcliff, and they seized two vehicles, $79,000 in cash, and 5.2 kg of methamphetamine, 3.2 kg of cocaine, 1.6 kg of fentanyl powder, 418 grams of ketamine, and 35 grams of psilocybin mushrooms.
Rodney, who remains in custody at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre after previously being denied bail, is charged with five counts of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking, two counts each of unlawful storage of a firearm, knowingly possessing a prohibited or restricted weapon, knowingly possessing an unauthorized firearm, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, and single counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, possession of a firearm obtained by crime, possession of a prohibited weapon, and use of a firearm while committing an offence. He is also charged with breach of probation stemming from a firearm prohibition in 2014. Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter 4
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