From May 22, to May 30, Stonewall RCMP responded to three separate incidents of alleged drug smuggling into Stony Mountain Institution.
Incident #1: On May 22, 2023, at approximately 8:30 pm, Stonewall RCMP responded to a report of a suspicious person throwing items over the fence at Stony Mountain Institution.
Patrols were made and an officer located a vehicle and noticed a male outside near the fence surrounding Stony Mountain Institution. The male was arrested and several packages containing drugs were located on his person. When the officer attempted to place him in the rear of the police vehicle, he fled from police. With the assistance of an off-duty correctional officer, the male was safely placed in custody.
The packages contained over 300 prescription pills, 60 grams of methamphetamine, 85 grams of cannabis resin, also known as shatter and cannabis.
Christopher Sinclair, 32, of Fairford, has been charged with Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking, Trafficking a Schedule I Substance, Resisting Arrest and Escape Lawful Custody. He was remanded into custody.
Incident #2: On May 25, 2023, at approximately 10:50 pm, Stonewall RCMP responded to a report of a drone flying outside Stony Mountain Institution.
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) located the drone which had a package attached to it. RCMP attended and seized the items.
The package contained over 100 grams of cannabis, 230 grams of methamphetamine, 400 grams of shatter and 50 tablets of prescription medication.
No suspects have been arrested at this time and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the Stonewall RCMP at 204-467-5015, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.
Incident #3: On May 30, 2023, at approximately 8:30 pm, Stonewall RCMP responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle near Stony Mountain Institution.
Three males were located and it was determined that they had thrown several packages over the fence into Stony Mountain Institution. The packages contained 150 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of fentanyl and 90 grams of shatter.
Terrance Goetz, 39, from the RM of St. Clements, has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Schedule I Substance, Trafficking a Schedule I Substance, Obstruction and Identity Fraud.
Drew Lloyd, 37, of Selkirk, has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Schedule I Substance and Trafficking a Schedule I Substance.
Brendin Swanson, 36, of Oakbank, has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Schedule I Substance, Trafficking a Schedule I Substance, Obstruction and Identity Fraud.
All three were remanded into custody.
“These were a significant amount of drugs that were intercepted before they made their way into Stony Mountain Institution,” said Staff Sergeant Jason Vrooman, Detachment Commander of Stonewall/Headingley RCMP. “We were able to respond quickly due to good communication and a strong partnership with the Correctional Service of Canada. We will continue to work with CSC to stop the smuggling of illicit drugs into Stony Mountain Institution.”
The CSC estimates that the institutional value of the drugs seized are over $1.4 million.
