A Red Deer man busted twice by police within a six-week period for trafficking cocaine was sentenced to a federal prison term on Tuesday.
Laurence Frank Jensen, 24, was jailed for four years when he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in Red Deer provincial court.
Jensen was to be tried in Court of Queen’s Bench following a preliminary hearing last year but opted for provincial court when he changed his plea.
Federal Crown prosecutor Dave Inglis said four other charges were stayed in the compromise deal worked out between him and defence lawyer Michael Scrase.
Inglis told Judge Gordon Deck that police busted Jensen first on June 23, 2008, outside a bar in north Red Deer.
When he was being searched, police took two knives from the accused.
When they started to search a front pocket, Jensen told the officer, “You’re going to like what you find in there,” Inglis said. The pocket contained 13 individually wrapped packets of cocaine.
A search of Jensen’s vehicle located another 29 grams of cocaine.
Jensen was released on bail but was arrested and charged on Aug. 24, 2008, in a rural area east of the city when his parked vehicle raised alarm.
A search discovered five grams of cocaine, $1,038 in cash, three cellphones and debt ledgers of drug users.
Inglis said Jensen had no previous criminal record but the two offences committed in a short time frame while he was on bail warranted a four-year jail term.
Scrase said his client has demonstrated a desire to make amends by living up to a nightly curfew for almost 18 months and not attracting any new charges in that time.
Jensen must also surrender a sample of his DNA and is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and explosives for 10 years.
He has several firearms with permits that must be disposed of within 90 days, Deck heard.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com