A Red Deer drug dealer caught with dozens of ecstasy tablets, nearly six kilograms of marijuana and a Taser was sentenced to two years in prison.
Russell James Enns, 28, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of the proceeds of crime and several other charges in Red Deer provincial court on Wednesday.
Federal Crown prosecutor Dave Inglis said Enns’ first brush with the law came on Jan. 17, 2009, when he was arrested for public intoxication after a fight outside a local nightclub about 2:40 a.m.
While Enns was being booked into the Red Deer Remand Centre he was asked to empty his pockets and was seen dropping a bag into the garbage. Fished out, the bag was found to contain 81 ecstasy tablets.
About two months later, while on release from drug charges in connection with the Remand Centre incident, Enns came to the attention of the law again.
During an RCMP street team investigation, Enns was spotted carrying a duffle bag that turned out to be stuffed with about 3.4 kilograms of marijuana.
A cellphone was also found in the car he was driving, a violation of a previous court order.
Police searched a Red Deer home and found cocaine, several cellphones, a Taser, a scale and more than $2,600 hidden inside a foosball table. Another 2.5 kilograms of marijuana was found in a vehicle parked outside the home.
In a joint submission with defence lawyer Kent Teskey, of Edmonton, Inglis called for a total sentence of two years on all charges, noting Enns had no previous criminal record.
Teskey said Enns has a Grade 11 education and had worked in the oilfield most of his working life. When released from prison he wants to return to his native Saskatchewan and return to the oilpatch.
Provincial court Judge Harry Gaede gave Enns credit for his lack of a criminal record and for pleading guilty and avoiding a trial set for later this month.
Gaede warned Enns that he no longer has a clean record, adding, “Should you not change your ways you’re probably looking at federal jail time for any serious thing you do.”
Enns was sentenced to two years for the possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. He also got sentences ranging from six months to 30 days — all to be served concurrently — for possession of ecstasy for the purpose of trafficking, possessing the Taser and several other charges. Enns also has a 10-year weapons prohibition and must surrender a DNA sample to a national database.
Enns was given credit for 680 days in prison on a two days-for-one arrangement, leaving him with 50 days left to serve.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com