MAJOR DRUG DEALER JAILED FOR 42 MONTHS

A major player in the city's thriving cocaine trade was sentenced to
42 months behind bars Thursday for his role in a sophisticated drug
operation.

John Joseph Devilla, 36, was led away in handcuffs in front of more
than a dozen family members and friends who filled the small courtroom.

Defence lawyer Jay Prober was seeking a conditional sentence which
would have allowed his client to remain free in the community.

Queen's Bench Justice Albert Clearwater said the message to drug
dealers such as Devilla must be loud and clear -- prison is the only
option.

"The profits here were extraordinary," Clearwater said after hearing
the facts of the case.

Devilla was one of several men arrested in November 2003 following an
extensive undercover police investigation that began in March 2002.

RCMP officers used surveillance and wiretaps to catch the accused
bringing drugs in from British Columbia and then distributing them on
the streets of Winnipeg.

Devilla had no prior criminal record and comes from an exemplary
background.

He pleaded not guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to traffic
cocaine, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Several
other charges, including possession of proceeds of crime, were stayed
by the Crown.