ESTEVAN — A second person has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in connection with a drug bust in late August 2024.
Dallas William Hala pleaded guilty to one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine. Multiple other charges were stayed, including trafficking cocaine, possessing property obtained by crime exceeding $5,000 and violating the terms of his release conditions.
He received a 20-month conditional sentence order (CSO), as per the terms of a joint submission between Crown and defence attorneys.
Federal Crown prosecutor Alexander Deacon noted the drug bust came less than three weeks after the Estevan Police Service arrested multiple individuals in relation to a cocaine trafficking ring on Aug. 9, 2024.
“Through those investigations, the Estevan police identified Dallas Hala and Nadine Hala and Bradley Williams as members of the same group, and continued their investigations,” said Deacon.
On Aug. 27, 2024, the EPS arrested and charged the Halas and Williams. Deacon pointed out a video showed Dallas Hala moving a bag underneath one of the seats in a police vehicle. The bag wasn’t found until Oct. 13.
“The police did some investigation about who had been transported in that vehicle, and they found surveillance that Mr. Hala was secreting a package in between the seats,” said Deacon.
In the package, Deacon said the EPS found 7.6 grams of crack cocaine that was packaged in distinct dime bags with black spades, and 8.8 grams of soft cocaine in green alien dime bags.
“This packaging was quite similar to the packaging that had been found on other individuals over the course of this investigation,” Deacon said.
The prosecutor added that during the investigation, Hala was quite forthcoming about his actions.
Deacon believes the CSO should address the sentencing principles of denunciation and deterrence while hopefully creating an opportunity for rehabilitation for Hala.
Hala’s defence attorney Laura Mischuk noted Hala previously battled addictions. She also said this has been a trying time for Hala and his wife. Shortly before the Halas were arrested, they took in a roommate who was part of the drug trade, and they started getting involved in it at a time in which the Halas were vulnerable as they weren’t working.
After a month, Hala wanted to get out of the situation, Mischuk said, only to be told he couldn’t.
“His phone and vehicle were starting to be tracked,” Mishcuk said. “He was being threatened and things of that nature, and [he was] finding it very scary and difficult to get out of the situations he … put himself in.”
At one point, Mischuk said Hala tried moving his family to Fort Qu’Appelle to escape the situation, but Mischuk said it was impossible.
When the Halas and Williams were arrested, Mischuk said it was essentially a relief for Dallas Hala and a way to get out of the trafficking.
After Hala declined to say anything, Judge Mitch Miller told Hala that trafficking crack and soft cocaine can result in a real jail sentence, so Hala is fortunate the two sides negotiated a CSO, which is essentially jail in the community. The judge pointed out breaches of the CSO are treated more seriously than those for probation.
Closing out the sentencing, Miller told Hala that if Hala had made the decision at the outset not to traffic drugs, Hala would have been better off. Miller then asked Hala about the impact of drugs on users.
“The trafficking of drugs is a real plague, as we see from fentanyl deaths and other deaths, it’s not a victimless crime,” said Miller.
Nadine Hala received a 20-month CSO in August after pleading guilty to possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine. Williams is scheduled to be back in court Sept. 22.
