One of two local men charged in a drug and weapons bust that took place this past winter was sentenced earlier this week on duo of charges.
Swift Current's Anthony Clark appeared personally in Swift Current Provincial Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty on two of three counts;
One count of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, and
One count of possession of a weapon in the form of a replica Beretta airsoft gun.
The 62-year-old was given a conditional sentence order of two years minus a day to be served at an approved residence, with the first six months on a 24-hour curfew and a curfew from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. for the remaining 18 months.
Clark will also be subject to a 10-year weapons prohibition, has been ordered to pay a $400 fine within the next three months, and is prohibited from any contact with the co-accused, Charles Johnston.
Additionally, he is required to abide by the following conditions;
Not to possess any controlled substances, including cannabis,
Not to possess imitation weapons or prohibited devices,
Not to possess a phone or electronic device,
Surrender any weapons,
Submit to searches of the residence without a warrant,
Report a supervisor or probation officer immediately,
Respond to check-ins by RCMP or a supervisor,
Provide a DNA sample,
Is not permitted to be farther than 100 kilometres from the residence, and
Is not permitted to break any of the conditions without written permission from a supervisor.
The third count, possession of proceeds of crime with a value over $5,000, was stayed at the conclusion of the sentencing.
The defence council noted that Clark had no prior criminal record and was also the victim of a home invasion only a couple of months prior to his arrest, playing a factor in his downward spiral.
"I hope you feel this is something you can put in the past, and I want to acknowledge that taking responsibility today is to your credit," shared Judge Jacobson on Wednesday. "This is a tough thing to face today, but as serious as this sentence is, it could've been a lot more serious."
On December 23, 2024, Swift Current Municipal RCMP executed a search warrant at Clark's residence on Tenth Avenue North West.
Police located 14 grams of crack cocaine, 22 grams of powdered cocaine, two Beretta firearm replicas, a samurai sword, a spear, a 6-inch blade, two phones, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and more before transporting the accused to the Swift Current City Detachment.
Johnston will return to court on July 16 in Swift Current.