Four Red Deer men charged with conspiracy to commit an offence, drug trafficking and firearm offences will go to trial after pleading not guilty.
Johnny Allison, Jeromy Arsenault, Kolton Dalkin and Robert Kilpatrick were arrested together on Jan. 14 by the Red Deer Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team in Riverside Meadows.
They face a combined 62 charges from the arrest, with Kilpatrick alone charged with 35 offences. The four entered pleas of not guilty on Tuesday.
Crown Prosecutor Brittney Ashmore said the trial, which will be held in Red Deer provincial court, would take about a day to complete.
Allison is represented by defence counsel Kevin Sproule, Kilpatrick by defence counsel Maurice Collard, Arsenault by defence counsel Rick Wyrozub and Dalkin by defence counsel Patty MacNaughton.
Among the many charges, Kilpatrick is charged with conspiracy to commit an offence, credit card fraud, harassment and eight firearm charges including robbery with a firearm and pointing a firearm.
Dalkin, Arsenault and Allison also face three counts of careless use of a firearm and one count of possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition.
Arsenault faces an additional six charges of possession of weapons contrary to a court order.
Dalkin, 18, pleaded guilty to three charges of failing to comply with his probation order, the charges were laid separate from his co-accused matter.
Granted probation in January, Dalkin did not report to probation and he didn’t live where the order required him too.
Ashmore read onto the record a portion of Dalkin’s probation officer’s report that said he was “horrendous and utterly refuses to comply with his probation order.”
Dalkin was sentenced to 80 days in prison for the three breaches, with four days added in lieu of a fine under the victim’s of crime surcharge by judge Bert Skinner. Dalkin was given credit for 73 days in custody before his guilty plea, leaving him with 11 days to serve.
Three other breach charges were then withdrawn by Ashmore.
However, Dalkin, Allison and Kilpatrick remain in custody on the co-accused matter. They have not had a bail hearing and have remained in custody by consent. Aresenault has been released from custody ahead of trial.
The trial date will be set at a later time.
mcrawford@www.reddeeradvocate.com