Trial date set in record drug bust for Lethbridge
LETHBRIDGE – A five-day trial has been scheduled for later this year, for two men accused in what Lethbridge Police have called a record drug bust for our city.
The Crown prosecutor and a lawyer appearing for 30-year-old Alexander Herbert and 28-year-old Drew Boake Monday morning, April 23, had the matter set for trial in Court of Queen’s Bench, starting Nov. 19. The defence also confirmed that it will be by judge alone.
The two men consented to proceed to trial in March, waiving their right to have the matter go to a preliminary inquiry first to ensure there was enough evidence for a trial. After giving their consent, the 25 counts against them were reduced to three counts for each – possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine. Boake alone faces a charge of possession of the proceeds of crime.
The charges stem from an investigation that started in December of 2016, when ALERT received information regarding a group of suspected drug dealers operating in Lethbridge. Then, on Feb. 11, 2017, a vehicle was stopped on Highway 3 just outside the city as it was allegedly returning from the B.C. lower mainland.