EX-MOUNTIE GETS 4 YEARS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING

HALIFAX - A former RCMP officer who sold marijuana seized by police drug
squads is now behind bars with other pushers.

Joseph Daniel Ryan, 33, was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison.
The sentence was one year longer than the Crown actually requested.

"Oh, my God," wailed Mr. Ryan's pregnant wife, Lilly, as the sentence was
read in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

Mr. Ryan, a former officer at the RCMP detachment in Tantallon, N.S., was a
highly respected constable who was in line to join the prime minister's
security team in Ottawa when he was charged.

Mr. Ryan was convicted in June of marijuana trafficking and breach of trust.

"To my colleagues, to my family ... I am very sorry for everything. I take
responsibility," a crying Mr. Ryan said in court.

In a rare step, Justice Ryan Goodfellow rejected both the three-year Crown
recommendation and a two-year conditional sentence sought by the defence.

"A conditional sentence, in my view, would promote disrespect for the law,"
Judge Goodfellow said, adding that Mr. Ryan broke the very law he was sworn
to uphold.

"He grossly abused his position of trust."

The judge called Mr. Ryan a "dishonest, criminally active police officer."

Mr. Ryan gave the judge 28 reasons why he should be given a conditional
sentence, which often means house arrest instead of jail time. Judge
Goodfellow didn't agree with any of them, citing sheer greed as the
motivation for the crime.

A pre-sentence report described the officer's "love of luxury and tendency
to live beyond his means."

Sgt. Gregory Taker, the lead investigator in a sting that led to the
arrest, was assigned the task of breaking the news to Mr. Ryan's RCMP
colleagues.

Sgt. Taker recalled officers coming into his office and crying for 30 minutes.

"It devastated that detachment. He was highly respected and I think that's
what hit the members so hard."