DAD STUNNED BY NEWS SON PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGE

The owner of an Abbotsford car dealership was taken aback yesterday to
learn his son had pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle thousands of
dollars worth of drugs across the U.S. border.

Don Quast, who owns Don Quast Hyundai, said he was not aware that his
son, Devron Quast, 38, had entered a guilty plea to drug charges
stemming from his arrest in June.

Reached at his office, Quast told The Province it was the first that
he'd heard of the guilty plea, despite being in regular contact with
his son since his arrest.

"You know, I've been through so much," he said. "I don't even want to
comment or get involved with it at all. I mean he's there, he's done
what he's done and I guess he'll have to pay. I just don't want it
affecting me, my family, my life, my business . . . I just can't
afford that."

Devron Quast and Robert Shannon, 38, of Maple Ridge were arrested in
Ferndale following a three-year undercover drug investigation that
culminated in the seizure of 771 kilograms of cocaine, 3,175 kg of
B.C. bud and $3.5 million US.

Quast pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to
conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to
engage in money laundering.

He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of
life when he's sentenced March 6, 2009.

As part of his plea agreement, he will be transferred to Canada
following his sentencing. He remains at the Federal Detention Centre
in Sea-Tac, Wash.

According to the indictment, Quast, who was the general manager of his
father's car dealership, oversaw the "day-to-day operations of the
drug transportation" and provided assurances to the marijuana
suppliers that "the drugs would be successfully smuggled into the U.S."

Shannon, according to the indictment, was allegedly in charge of
distributing the drugs on behalf of the Hells Angels. He is scheduled
to go to trial in February.

To date, 40 people, 12 of whom are Canadian, have been charged in
connection with the probe. Among the four who have entered guilty
pleas is Phillip Stone, 45, of Abbotsford, the former sales manager at
the Don Quast dealership. He remains free on bond awaiting sentencing.

Don Quast said Stone hasn't worked at the dealership since news broke
of the arrests in June. "He hasn't been here since that day," said
Quast. "He said, 'My life is over' and cleaned out his desk."