NO JAIL TERM FOR B.C. MAN AFTER POT BUST

A B.C. man is not going to jail for his part in a major marijuana ring
that operated between B.C. and Saskatchewan, but will find his freedom
severely limited under a conditional sentence, according to the judge
who handled the proceedings.

"The (conditions) are quite restrictive. They're quite onerous," said
Justice Gerry Allbright in Saskatoon's Court of Queen's Bench on
Thursday morning.

Jerry Bodnarchuk, 39, from Penticton, B.C., pleaded guilty to four
drug-related charges, including trafficking of marijuana and
possession of the proceeds of crime. Between September, 2001, and
December, 2002, Bodnarchuk and his common-law wife were part of a
network of people in Salmon Arm, B.C., recruited to grow marijuana in
their homes.

Bodnarchuk also was involved in delivering the marijuana to a drug
ring which distributed it in Saskatoon, Watrous and Rosetown.

"You were not a major player in it. You were not a leading player, but
a supporting player in it," Allbright told Bodnarchuk in pointing out
that the "punishment must fit the crime."

Bodnarchuk's conditional sentence of two years less a day was
negotiated between his lawyer and the Crown prosecutor and agreed to
by Allbright, who read aloud in court the long list of conditions by
which Bodnarchuk must abide.

For the next year, he will be under house arrest (except for work and
a few other situations), electronically monitored and allowed to speak
on the telephone for a maximum of 15 minutes at a time. He is also
required to perform 192 hours of community service and pay a fine of
$10,000 over the two years.

Unlike a jail sentence that can be reduced for good behaviour or due
to mandatory parole eligibility, the conditional sentence must be
served in its entirety. Failure to do so could result in jail time.

"I know I made a mistake. I am ready to move on with my life,"
Bodnarchuk said in court.

Bodnarchuk is the last of 15 people from B.C. and Saskatchewan charged
with trafficking marijuana in connection with the drug ring. Several
received conditional sentences similar to Bodnarchuk's, while others
were jailed for a significant amount of time, said Allbright.