June sentencing set on drug charges

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on March 7, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Lethbridge man caught with drugs and thousands of dollars in cash won’t learn how much time he’ll spend in jail until he returns to court in three months.

Levi Duncan Reiter is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, on two charges and drug possession for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possession of the proceeds of crime, to which he pleaded guilty Monday in Lethbridge provincial court.

Federal Crown Prosecutor Mark Klassen told court Lethbridge police received confidential information in January 2021 that Reiter was selling drugs in Lethbridge. Police began an investigation and watched Reiter for five days while he met briefly with people coming to his residence in the 1400 block of 12 Avenue North where police believed he was selling drugs.

Police also saw him driving, or being driven in, his vehicle around the city where he met with people for short periods of time and appeared to engage in activity consistent with drug trafficking.

“Some of the people that Mr. Reiter was seen meeting with were known to the police to be either drug users, drug addicts or otherwise involved in the drug trade in Lethbridge,” Klassen said.

Police arrested Reiter on Jan. 20, 2021 following a traffic stop, during which they found in Reiter’s possession $575 cash, 3.3 grams of methamphetamine and 1.2 grams of cocaine. They found during a search of his garage 30.5 grams of meth and 21.2 grams of cocaine, in addition to scales.

Police also found in a bedroom of Reiter’s house $7,085 cash, scales, and score sheets with lists of drug debts. They found more scales in other parts of the residence, as well.

“Mr. Reiter admits he was in possession of those drugs for the purpose of selling them, and that he obtained that cash by the commission of offences in Canada,” Klassen said.

The judge agreed to adjourn sentencing for nearly three months to allow time for the preparation of a pre-sentence report, which will provide the court with Reiter’s background and personal circumstances to help determine a fit sentence.

Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter