York, Russell, Bryan Hanna, Brian Stone, Frederick Davey, Andrew Hall and Darrin Hotner all pleaded guilty and voluntarily delivered themselves to U.S. officials without lengthy extradition battles.
Despite admitting to crimes that originated in Canada, they have not faced charges in the same conspiracy case on the northern side of the border.
So why would Canadians admit guilt in another country and surrender themselves to accept U.S. jail terms, which seem lengthy by Canadian standards?
It's simple, according to University of the Fraser Valley criminologist Darryl Plecas.
They fear the U.S. judicial system and want to make sure they get the best deal they can once they know they're indicted.
York and Russell both admitted they transported major shipments of B.C. bud across the border for years using a range of sophisticated schemes -- including semi-trailers with hidden compartments, hollowed-out logs on flat decks, motor homes, inside PVC sewer pipes, and buried in truckloads of bark.
Both are longtime associates of Rob Shannon, an Abbotsford native arrested in June 2008 after crossing the border to meet with an undercover agent he thought was a willing associate.
Shannon also pleaded guilty to a series of drug charges and landed a 20-year sentence in March 2009.
York and Russell, indicted last fall, ended up with sentences of just five years and four and a half years respectively.
Plecas said they got "a gift."
"Five years sounds wonderful when they could be doing 20-plus," he said.
The U.S. government said in its sentencing documents that the B.C. men got a break in part because they pleaded guilty and because bringing them "to justice in both in either Canada or the United States has been a challenge and was never guaranteed."
"Given the time that has passed between the offence conduct and today, and [their] anticipated voluntary appearance in the Western District of Washington for resolution of this matter at sentencing, the United States respectfully suggests that the appropriate term of imprisonment falls well below the applicable guideline range," the document said.
Offers too good to refused
No comments:
Post a Comment