DRUG MONEY BUYS JAIL TIME

A Vancouver man should be cooling his heels in prison after being
busted in a Winnipeg hotel room with $37,000 in drug money, a judge
has ruled. Lucito Santos Castillo was sentenced to two years in prison
yesterday, after being convicted last February on one count of
possessing the proceeds of crime.

A Vancouver resident, Castillo was arrested on Oct. 30, 2001,
following a police search of the Comfort Inn on Sargent Avenue.

After being tipped off about a large amount of cocaine and several
thousands in cash, police executed search warrants in two rooms.

In one room, they found the $37,000, along with two other men who were
arrested. Castillo and a Winnipeg woman were found in another room,
along with pages of notes thought to be score sheets used to record
drug transactions.

'IRREPARABLE HARM'

At the time, Castillo told police the money belonged to one of the
other men, claiming he knew about it but not where it came from.

Yesterday, federal Crown attorney Paul Jensen argued that Castillo's
crime warranted a stint in prison, citing the "irreparable harm"
Winnipeg suffers as a result of the cocaine trade.

"(Offenders) have to be taught that if they engage in such activities
that bring harm to our community, they will be dealt with harshly," he
said. "If they're going to come here to do their crimes, they should
face the music here as well."

Defence lawyer Katherine Bueti argued for a conditional sentence or a
period of time already served, but Queen's Bench Justice Colleen Suche
sided with the Crown.

"This quantity of money tells me your association and involvement was
not with street dealers," Suche told Castillo.

"The association you had was much higher than that."

And while Castillo's crime isn't considered a violent offence, Suche
still commented on the inherent risks posed to society.

"It may be a property offence, but the impact on society ... isn't
there violence there?" she asked. "It's an insidious, percolating violence."