(Prince Albert Provincial Court)

By Nigel Maxwell

Drug investigation

Alleged cocaine trafficker denied bail

Apr 28, 2023 | 5:00 PM

A man charged in connection to Prince Albert’s biggest drug bust was allegedly sitting at a table counting money when police entered the trailer home.

That was some of the evidence heard during Jim Lakatos’s bail hearing Friday morning at Prince Albert Provincial Court.

As a result of their search warrant on March 16 at the Whispering Pines trailer court, police seized over 31 kilograms of cocaine, as well as $55,000 in cash, handgun ammunition and drug trafficking paraphernalia including baggies and pails containing residue, as well as scales, cell phones and cutting tools.

The street value of the drugs is estimated to be between $1.5 and $4 million dollars.

According to facts read in court by Crown Prosecutor Brent Slobodian, the actual investigation started a month prior, when police received information drugs were sold out out of the trailer, north of Prince Albert

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Over the course of the next 30 days, multiple vehicles were observed coming and going from the trailer and were followed to other communities including Saskatoon, Big River, and Green Lake.

On another occasion an SUV was followed to Wal-Mart, where the driver purchased some zip lock freezer bags, then headed to a local paint store and purchased pails.

Within the actual trailer itself, cocaine was found in multiple rooms and forms, including over half a dozen bricks. Bags of cocaine were also found in a laundry hamper as well as in a safe.

When Lakatos was arrested, the money on the kitchen table amounted to over $39,000.

A photo of some of the items seized. (Prince Albert Police Service).

Slobodian noted that at the time of the offence, Lakatos was on probation. In February, he appeared at court in Dillon and received a 12 day sentence (time served) and 12 months probation for possession of a restricted firearm (handgun).

Explaining the case could take years to go through the court system, defence lawyer Sam Jomha argued for Lakatos’s release, noting intentions for a $10,000 cash deposit.

He also proposed 24 hours house arrest, and living at an approved residence in Saskatoon.

However, Slobodian noted the proposed residence belonged to someone with connections to the founder of a well known street gang, and was also the owner of a vehicle seen coming and going from the trailer.

In the end Judge Healey’s sided with the Crown’s submission Lakatos’s release would pose a risk to the public, adding he had no confidence Lakatos would not re-offend in an effort to help pay the massive debt incurred as a result of the drugs being seized.

Lakatos’s charges which include possession for the purpose of trafficking, possessing proceeds of crime over $5,000, having banned ammunition, and breaching release orders, have all been adjourned to May 11.

Four other people have been charged in this case. Spencer Evans, Santana Foulds, and Gordon Greer-Vandale all have pending court dates.

Dean Marchand of Saskatoon remains on bench warrant status.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell