Drug case adjourned for conference on hearing

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on July 7, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The case of a 34-year-old man accused in one of the city’s largest drug busts was in Lethbridge court of justice Thursday.

An agent for Calgary lawyer Gloria Froese, council for Patrick Rodney Jr., appeared in Lethbridge court of justice Thursday and requested an adjournment in order to schedule a pre-preliminary inquiry conference.

 “We’re moving towards setting a trial date. The election was entered back in May of not guilty pleas and a King’s Bench Judge alone election was entered,” said Federal Crown Prosecutor Mark Klassen.

Rodney 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.

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.

 The matter was adjourned to July 20 at 9:30 a.m. to facilitate the scheduling of a preliminary inquiry.

 -with files from Delon Shurtz

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