DRUGS RUINED SOAP SELLER

Until he discovered crystal meth, the future seem bright for a young
Regina businessman named Michael Lund.

At 21, he was manager of a fast-growing gift soap company and was
taking courses to become an auto mechanic.

But on Tuesday, he found himself standing before a provincial court
judge after pleading guilty to a series of charges, including illegal
possession of weapons, using counterfeit money and possession of drugs
for the purpose of trafficking.

"I just need to get off the drugs," Lund, 23, told Judge Carol Snell
before she sentenced him to 18 months house arrest with six months
under electronic monitoring.

Crown prosecutor Dana Brule said a string of crimes began May 13 when
police spotted a sawed-off rifle in Lund's car. When police searched
the car, they found a knife and about half a gram of crystal meth.

They also found about $110 in counterfeit Canadian currency and $90 in
U.S. funds.

Lund was charged again after he tried to pass a counterfeit $10 bill
while buying baby clothes at a Regina store.

On June 16, he tried to pay for items at a knife store using
counterfeit cash. Following searches, police found more counterfeit
cash in $20 and $50 denominations, totalling $550. They also found a
small plastic bag containing about half a gram of crystal meth.

A search of his residence yielded another gram of the drug, plus about
30 grams of marijuana. Police also found chemicals consistent with the
production of crystal meth, scales, plastic bags, razor blades and
instructions for making crystal meth, according to federal Crown agent
Paul Malone.

The sentencing is believed to be the first in Regina involving crystal
meth, a powerful, highly-addictive drug that can be manufactured using
readily available materials, such as cold medicines.

Although crystal meth cases were virtually unknown in Regina only a
few years ago, police are worried the trade is on the upswing.

Malone said the quantities of crystal meth seized are relatively
small, but noted a typical dose of the drug is only a tenth of a gram.

Malone said the Crown wasn't asking for a jail sentence, noting Lund
has no criminal record and it's believed he has a drug problem.

Lund's lawyer Keir Vallance said his client's problems began eight
months ago. His drug use quickly took him down a self-destructive
path, Vallance said.

Snell said if it wasn't for Lund's clean record, he'd be going to
jail.

"You are almost guaranteed a jail term if you commit any further
offences," she said.

Lund will serve his 18-month conditional sentence at home. Once off
electronic monitoring, he's required to stay on a curfew and to avoid
drugs and alcohol.

Snell also ordered banned Lund from using guns for 10 years. She also
ordered him to pay $1,300 to the province's victims fund.