The case against an Onion Lake man facing four organized crime charges was adjourned. COVID-19 continues to cause numerous court delays across the province.
Jesse Dillon, 28, is charged with recruiting for a criminal organization, trafficking a controlled substance for a criminal organization, uttering threats for a criminal organization, and conspiracy to commit assault for a criminal organization.
Dillon is also charged with numerous firearms offences, fabricating evidence, trafficking in methamphetamine and obstruction of justice.
Dillon was one of five people rounded up and arrested by the RCMP Crime Reduction Team earlier this year after a five-month investigation into organized crime in Prince Albert. When Dillon was arrested on the organized crime charges in April, police found him already in custody at the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre.
Raini Henderson, 30, of Nipawin, was arrested May 6 and also found in custody but at the Prince Albert Provincial Correctional Centre.
During the organized crime investigation, police also raided a home on the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in February where they found a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, a replica handgun, a spear gun, and hydromorphone. At that home police arrested and charged Brennen Sanderson, 27, Shannon Sanderson, 29, and Shania Yooya, 24.
Yooya is also facing organized crime charges of trafficking a controlled substance for a criminal organization, uttering threats for a criminal organization, and conspiracy to commit assault for a criminal organization. She is additionally charged with weapons offences, trafficking, obstruction and fabricating evidence. She pleaded not guilty in Prince Albert Provincial Court in June.
Yooya has a pre-trial conference set in Prince Albert Court of Queen’s Bench on July 24.
Shannon Sanderson failed to appear in Prince Albert Provincial Court in March and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Brennen Sanderson appears in Prince Albert Provincial Court on Aug. 24.
Dillon remains in custody and is now scheduled to appear in Prince Albert Provincial Court July 13 by CCTV to elect how he wants to be tried.
In 1997, the Canadian government targeted organized crime by amending the Criminal Code enhancing the investigative powers of police and making participation in a criminal organization an indictable offence.
Anyone who participates in, or contributes to activities such as recruiting others to join a criminal organization or facilitating the illegal transactions of a criminal organization, face up to five years in prison. Anyone involved in committing indictable offences for the benefit of criminal organizations face up to 14 years in prison. A leader of a criminal organization, who instructs another person to become involved in a criminal offence, could face life in prison. In addition, any sentences handed down on organized crime charges must be served consecutively and not concurrently.
