SIX YEARS FOR METH DEALER

Methamphetamine dealer Darrell Schacher was sentenced to nearly six
years in prison yesterday and forced to fork over more than $300,000
in cash and property. Schacher, 49, pleaded guilty in provincial court
to six counts of trafficking methamphetamine, commonly known as speed,
one count of trafficking in marijuana and methamphetamine, and two
counts of money laundering.

According to agreed facts, in 1997 Schacher traded 2.2 kg of marijuana
and five ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover RCMP officer in
exchange for one kilogram of ephedrine, a chemical used to manufacture
speed.

Schacher had earlier beaten the charges when a judge ruled it was
police entrapment. However, the Court of Appeal of Alberta overturned
the decision and ordered a new trial, saying it was a proper
reverse-sting operation.

Regarding the money laundering, the agreed facts state that between
Jan. 1, 1998, and Nov. 18, 2002, Schacher was in possession of
proceeds or other property obtained or derived from drug trafficking
activities.

"This was determined after a forensic accounting report was done on
Schacher's financial activities, the result of which reveals
unexplained increased net worth over the offence period of $585,000,"
say the agreed facts.

As a result, Schacher agreed to forfeit approximately $91,000 in
vehicles - including a 1985 Corvette - and $84,000 in cash and other
property - including a Toshiba big-screen TV - which has already been
sold by court order.

FINED ANOTHER $167,500

Schacher was also fined an additional $167,500 in an agreement, where
if he did not pay the money prior to yesterday's sentencing, he would
get three more years in prison on top of the already agreed to
five-year term.

Court heard Schacher was only able to come up with approximately
$128,000 of the total fine so he was sentenced to another nine months
of prison time.

Regarding the six methamphetamine trafficking convictions, court heard
Schacher sold various amounts of speed to Michael Maze, a former drug
dealer turned informant, who brokered a deal with RCMP to become a
civilian agent and target Schacher for money.

During meetings between the pair, Schacher alluded to manufacturing
methamphetamine. He was charged after Mounties raided two speed-making
labs in November 2002, netting more than $500,000 in methamphetamine
and seizing more than $100,000 in stolen property.

In exchange for Schacher's guilty pleas, charges of producing a
controlled substance were withdrawn.