Craig Oldford, 48, of Labrador City; and Todd Bixby, 38, of Wabush are both scheduled to go to trial today on a variety of drug charges. They are two of the eight people arrested in Operation Turbulence.
Jean St. Marie, 59, of Labrador City was sentenced to 27 months in prison in Happy Valley-Goose Bay court on June 29 for his role in the trafficking operation. He pleaded guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance and was also ordered to submit his DNA and is banned from owning a firearm for 10 years.
Gary Mulrooney, 50, of Labrador City, had already been sentenced for his role in the drug trafficking operation and got seven years. He pleaded guilty in May of 2016 to charges of possession and trafficking of cocaine and methamphetamine.
The operation, which was pulled off by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU - NL) made up of members from the RCMP and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, yielded approximately 5 kilograms of cocaine, 2,200 methamphetamine pills (commonly known as Ice) and $100,000 in cash in 2015. At the time, police executed search warrants in Wabush, St. John’s Labrador City and Paradise.
Drug paraphernalia including cellphones, a cocaine press and 27 kilograms of a cutting agent were also confiscated.
The street value of the drugs was estimated at $600,000.
David Fowler, 31, Labrador City; Michael Burton, 30 of Paradise; Kimberley Montague, 37 of Labrador City and Martin Sinard, 58, of Saint Hubert, Que. were also charged and are still in the court process.
The eight are facing a variety of charges that, collectively, include possession for the purpose of trafficking in both cocaine and methamphetamine, conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance, possession of property obtained by crime, and money laundering.
