(File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

Trial dates set for history making cocaine trafficking case

Jun 24, 2024 | 3:00 PM

A total of two weeks have been set aside in May of 2025, to hear the circumstances surrounding what Prince Albert Police has previously described as the biggest drug bust in the city’s history.

Gordon Greer-Vandale, Santana Foulds and Dean Marchand, are three of the original people charged. As a Friday’s pre-trial conference at Court of King’s Bench, their trials will run from May 12 to May 23.

The case dates back to March of last year, when a drug bust at the Whispering Pine trailer court netted over 31 kg of cocaine, as well as various drug trafficking tools and $55,000 in cash. Gun parts and ammunition were also found.

Police surveillance of the home had actually started a month prior, and during that time, officers observed several people entering and exiting. Those same people were followed into Prince Albert, Shellbrook, Meadow Lake, Big River and Green Lake.

A photo of the items seized. (submitted photo/Prince Albert Police)

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On one occasion, an SUV was followed to Walmart, where the driver purchased some Ziplock freezer bags, then headed to a local paint store and purchased pails. And 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.

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

Also charged in the case was Jim Lakatos, who received a seven-year sentence for his involvement. When police entered the home, he, along with another co-accused, were found at a table counting money.

Charges against Spencer Evans of North Battleford were stayed by the prosecution.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell