CONVICTIONS BEGIN ROLLING IN AFTER MAJOR DRUG BUST

The massive drug bust of a week ago is starting to fill federal prison cells.

As of today, three of the 28 people arrested have pleaded guilty and
received jail sentences. Charles Wesley Morris has had the longest prison
term so far - 54 months in a federal penitentiary for three counts of
trafficking cocaine.

He pleaded guilty to the charges last Wednesday.

Morris, 26, was picked up on a warrant early last week, a few days after
police arrested 27 people on trafficking and other drug-related charges.

This was not the first time Morris has ran afoul of the law.

Last October, Morris and another Grande Prairie man were arrested on
charges of extortion and possession of stolen property in connection with
an incident with a 22-year-old woman one month earlier.

Morris was denied bail on those charges but released on a long list of
conditions, including abstaining from alcohol and not associating with
co-accused.

But both men violated those conditions in late October and Morris was
charged with mischief under $5,000, and possession of cocaine and
methamphetamines.

In November, he got 45 days in jail on those charges and in January, he was
sentenced to two days in jail and fined $2,500 for the original extortion
charges.

In sentencing Morris for the drug charges last week, Judge Don Patterson
also prohibited him from owning firearms for five years after his jail
sentence.

Patterson also handed jail time to 21-year-old Jarrid Daniel Rychard, and
19-year-old Dietta Lynn McDonald, both of Grande Prairie.

Rychard was sentenced to three years in a federal jail on two counts of
cocaine trafficking and McDonald two years on one charge of trafficking of
cocaine.

They received their sentences one day before their child's third birthday.

"I must comment on what a tragedy this is," said Patterson. "The thought of
a three-year-old child whose parents are going off to a penitentiary is
abysmal."

Meanwhile, several others had their day in court last week and are
scheduled to reappear later this month.

Paul Donald Abell, 26, reserved his plea until today on cocaine
trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking and breach of probation.

Jason Arthur Hamm, 21 and Sharon Lynn McConnell, 26, are charged with in
separate counts of cocaine trafficking and their election and plea were
scheduled for today.

Jason Troy McEachern, 26, is also making an election and plea today on one
count of cocaine trafficking.

Today's other court appearance will be made by 28-year-old Billie-Kae
Speed, who is facing cocaine trafficking and possession charges.

Appearing in court next Monday are: * 29-year-old Darryl Gordon Gouchee on
counts of trafficking cocaine and marijuana; * Richard, 45, and Diana Mae,
43, Gardiner. Both have been charged with two counts of cocaine trafficking.