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Nipawin Provincial Court (File photo/northeastNOW Staff).
Drug Traffic Stop Sentencing

One man sentenced following Nipawin traffic stop

Oct 31, 2019 | 2:00 PM

Only one of three northeast residents who faced drug and weapon charges were sentenced.

Naicam resident Chance Corey Keller, 30, pled guilty to two of three charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking during his trial in Nipawin Provincial Court on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

Two counts were for methamphetamine and hydromorphone, although he pled not guilty to the charge of possessing buprenorphine. Crown Prosecutor Trent Forsyth halted further legal proceedings for Keller’s charge of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose (bear spray).

Judge Lloyd Stang sentenced Keller to 729 and 180 days in jail for the drug charges, but they’ll be served concurrently. Keller also received a lifetime firearm probation.

Forsyth also halted further legal proceedings against Nipawin resident Zack Donald Nowlin, born 1990, and Naicam resident Brittany Dawn Simonson, born 1995, for all their drug and weapon charges. Both entered trial on Oct. 23 facing similar charges that Keller had, but Simonson also had a charge for a breach withdrawn.

Due to confidential prosecutorial decisions, Forsyth couldn’t provide details as to why Nowlin and Simonson had their cases stayed and Keller pled guilty. He was still able to explain the context of the situation.

“Chance Keller was the driver of the vehicle and the registered owner,” Forsyth told northeastNOW. “The case against him was much stronger than it would have been against the other occupants of the vehicle.”

Forsyth had no opinion of Stang’s decision.

The charges stemmed from an RCMP traffic stop in Nipawin on May 20. During a search of the vehicle, police seized 63 grams of methamphetamine, 23 hydromorphone pills, and 68 buprenorphine pills. Officers also found bear spray, drug paraphernalia, and other items consistent with drug trafficking.

aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow

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