OPERATION WEEDEATER - TWO CONVICTED IN HUGE DRUG CASE

A mammoth drug case that began nearly two years ago with 21 people charged
ended Friday with the conviction of two people on eight criminal charges.

Linda Hews was found guilty by provincial court Judge Sandra Hamilton of
five counts, and Timothy Downey was convicted of three counts stemming from
a citywide police bust of marijuana-growing operations.

The case,dubbed Operation Weedeater by police, began with a June 1995 raid
of 55 residences.

In the end, only five people were convicted. Three other people pleaded
guilty to charges and were sentenced earlier this year.

A total of 14 others were freed at various points in the trial after
Hamilton ruled that search warrants and telephone wiretaps were improperly
executed.

Some of HamiltonB9s rulings that the evidence was inadmissible are now
under appeal by the Crown.

Hews was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit an offense, two
counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and one count of
trafficking in a narcotic.

Downey was found guilty of one count each of conspiracy, cultivating and
possession for trafficking.

Bradley Anhorn and Charlene Lund were acquitted of three charges each after
Hamilton found there was insufficient evidence against either of them.

AnhornB9s lawyer, Pat Horner, said the acquittal following a trial that
began in September 1996 was a tremendous relief to his client.

B3There was no direct evidence against the two (acquitted) and the Crown
came to realize there was no case against some individuals,B2 Horner said.

Linda Rae Larson, alleged to be the key person in the operation, was
sentenced in February to 2 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to
conspiracy.

Her boyfriend, Wendall Wade Shakotko, admitted to cultivating a narcotic
and was sentenced last month to 22 months in jail.

One other minor player, Gerald Ray, pleaded guilty before trial and
received probation.

Hamilton will hear sentencing arguments on June 17.

Checked-by: Richard Lake