PUB DRUG DEALER DEALT 3-YEAR TERM

A 45-year-old former pub owner was handed a three-year prison sentence
yesterday for selling cocaine out of his bar.

Jacques LaPlante, who owned the now-defunct Club Polo Pub and Club Polo
Lounge, pleaded guilty in April to five counts of drug trafficking and one
count each of possession of proceeds of crime, money laundering and tax
evasion.

He was arrested in April 2001 at the end of a 14-month investigation, which
included an undercover officer visiting the bar and having candid
conversations with LaPlante.

LaPlante told Sgt. David Spicer he laundered drug proceeds partly by
drawing an annual salary from the club.

It's estimated LaPlante failed to report about $450,000 in income and is on
the hook for $116,742 in taxes.

ADVICE

LaPlante was fined the full amount but given no time to pay since he was
forced to hand over about $250,000 in assets after his plea. He was handed
a six-month concurrent jail sentence as a result of the non-payment.

LaPlante also told Spicer he had been dealing drugs for about at least
eight years. He gave Spicer advice on how to get started in the
drug-dealing business.

LaPlante's criminal record has one related offence on it, which stemmed
from selling drugs to Spicer in 1995.

This more recent investigation was initiated after police received a tip in
February 2000 that drugs were being dealt at the club.