ESTEVAN — An Estevan man who was charged with drug trafficking earlier this year has pleaded guilty and been sentenced.
Rylie Conquergood, age 25, pleaded guilty to one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act on June 1 in Estevan Provincial Court. As per the terms of a joint submission, he received a conditional sentence order of two years less a day.
He also pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to comply with a probation order under the Criminal Code, and was sentenced to a day in custody that he already served.
One count each of trafficking cocaine and possessing cocaine were stayed.
Federal Crown prosecutor Kathryn Gilliss noted the charges stemmed from an investigation by the Estevan Police Service (EPS) into cocaine trafficking in the Estevan area. She said police received information from two separate confidential informants.
“From those informants, police continued their investigation, which included a period of surveillance in which on two separate occasions, they noted Mr. Conquergood taking trips in the middle of the night to Regina for very short durations for … basically an hour in the city," said Gilliss.
Conquergood and another individual were arrested during a March 3 traffic stop. Gilliss said search warrants were obtained and executed on the vehicle and Conquergood’s residence. Nothing was found in the vehicle, but at his home Gilliss said the EPS located a safe inside the master bedroom closet with 50 dime bags of soft cocaine, each weighing approximately half a gram. The total weight of the cocaine was approximately 25 grams. Some cocaine was found on Conquergood.
During a custodial interview with a detective, Gilliss said Conquergood admitted to the trafficking and has been doing so intermittently for two years.
Gillis noted Conquergood has a criminal record, but it is unrelated. The file was resolved fairly early on, and he hasn’t had breach allegations since he was arrested.
“There is a reasonable amount of weight of drugs,” said Gilliss.
In addition to standard conditions, Conquergood will have to stay in his residence for a 24-hour curfew for the first six months unless he has prior written permission of his CSO officer or a designate. Then it will be a curfew from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. for the subsequent nine months.
Defence attorney Joelle Graham said Conquergood has been clean and sober since his arrest. She added he recognizes the harm drugs have caused in his life and he recognizes his participation in the sale of cocaine has impacted other people, but she added he went as far as to send the cocaine in for testing to ensure it wasn't laced with other substances.
Judge Mitch Miller asked Conquergood if he knows how many people became addicted and how many lives were harmed through Conquergood’s actions.
“I understand you recognize the harm in the community, but it’s damaging. The wreckage that this court sees on a weekly basis because of the sale of illicit drugs, it’s astounding," said Miller.
The judge noted it seems Conquergood has taken steps to no longer be involved in the drug trade and not take drugs any more.
A CSO is a jail sentence in the community, Miller said, and he reminded Conquergood the conditions are not optional.
