DRUG 'MULE' SUFFERING

Ecuadorean Prison Hell For Accused 'Pegger

A Winnipeg man suspected of being a drug runner is suffering badly in an
Ecuador prison, says his stepfather.

"He's sick, he has a really bad eye infection and sores all over his body,"
Rick Stone-Lamontagne said of his 23-year-old stepson Joey yesterday.

His stepfather said Stone-Lamontagne is also suffering from two
sexually-transmitted diseases, both of which family believe were contracted
after he arrived in the men's prison.

Stone-Lamontagne has been held by Ecuador police since Feb. 25 after
allegedly attempting to smuggle a half-kilogram of cocaine on to a plane.
The Sturgeon Creek Collegiate grad had left Winnipeg earlier that month,
telling his parents a friend had found him a temporary job in Dallas.

Acting As A 'Mule'

Instead, he made stops in New Jersey and Spain before being busted in
Ecuador. Officials have told Stone-Lamontagne's parents he was acting as a
"mule" for a drug cartel.

With her son facing trafficking charges that could net him a sentence of up
to 16 years, Stone-Lamontagne's mother Susan flew to Ecuador yesterday to
see him. It will be the first time she's been able to talk to her son in
nearly two months, Rick said.

"If all goes well she'll be able to talk to him (this morning)," he said.

The family must come up with $25,000 US to pay for a private lawyer or wait
up to a decade for a public defender to take the case on. They've also been
told by Canadian officials they should pay guards $150 per month to ensure
Stone-Lamontagne is fed and not beaten.

There is no extradition treaty between Canada and Ecuador, so there is no
chance of the Winnipegger being able to serve the sentence at home.

Several fundraisers have been planned, with the first coming Friday at the
Pyramid Cabaret. Megadeth tribute band Youthanasia will be among the
featured performers playing that night, with all proceeds raised going to
the Stone-Lamontagne family.

The family will also host a fundraising social on April 19 at the Norquay
Community Club, and a karaoke social is being planned for May 31 at the
Belgian Club, Stone-Lamontagne's stepfather said.