Drug trafficking trial puts senior couple behind bars
A London, Ont. courtroom heard Friday that from a so-called “hobby farm” near Newbury, drugs were being housed and trafficked.
In December of 2016, the OPP searched the property and seized fentanyl, morphine, and Oxycodone.
In addition to the drugs, police said they also seized nearly $50,000 in cash.
In April, 68-year-old Floriano Daponte and 69-year-old Vivian Lee Hamilton were each found guilty of five counts of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
Justice Michael McArthur told the courtroom that when officers arrived, “Ms. Hamilton was located by police alone in a bathroom and searched. She possessed 32 fentanyl patches in a plastic bag in her underwear.”
He continued, “This was a commercial operation in a rural setting,” adding, “The defendants were operating an illicit pharmacy and commercial gain was the obvious motive.”
Justice McArthur told the court that the message needs to be clear to the community, “All of the substances involved were serious and highly addictive hard drugs and included fentanyl.”
“These drugs individually and collectively continue to wreak harm to individuals in society,” he added.
The court heard that Daponte has a lengthy criminal record and has spent a lot of time in and out of jail. However, this is Hamilton’s first conviction. The court heard that she’s always been employed and she has fostered over 200 children.
When Justice McArthur reviewed the case, he said there needed to be prison time because of the types of drugs involved.
The Crown asked for a 4-6 year sentence for Daponte, and a 3-5 year sentence for Hamilton.
The defense asked for conditional sentences.
As a result, Justice McArthur sentenced Daponte, who is already serving time on another matter, to five years in prison. He gave Hamilton a three-year sentence.
However, this case may be far from over. Even though Hamilton was taken into custody, she was released on bail pending an appeal of the whole case.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.