Gangster gets more time behind bars
In B.C. Supreme Court on Friday, Jayme Russell was handed a five-year and one four-year concurrent sentences, totalling another five more years in jail.
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Updated: November 24, 2009 9:39 AM
A gangster serving a federal sentence for selling dope to undercover cops will remain behind bars for another five years.
In B.C. Supreme Court on Friday, Jayme Russell was handed a five-year and one four-year concurrent sentences, totalling another five more years in jail.
Russell, said to be the local leader of the Independent Soldiers, is six months into a two-year sentence for prior drug charges.
He plead guilty to three of four charges of possession for the purpose to traffic on Thursday.
Despite defence lawyer Sheldon Tate's application to have Russell's two offences combined into one sentence, for a total of four years behind bars, Justice Richard Blair said the offences were not related and must be dealt with separately.
The 28-year-old was arrested in March following a police investigation in which Russell sold undercover officers large quantities of cocaine.
At the time of his arrest, Russell was free on bail awaiting sentencing on another charge of selling drugs to undercover cops in 2007.
Since Russell is said to have gang connections, he will likely be eligible for parole after two-thirds of the seven years is served, rather than the regular one-third.
In September, Russell was denied early parole by the National Parole Board because of his dislike for authority and likelihood to commit an offence.
Furthermore, in February 2008, he was acquitted on an aggravated-assault charge after a number of witnesses — including the supposed victim in the incident in which Russell allegedly held a gun to the neck of a man outside Cactus Jack’s Saloon — refused to testify against him.
Three months later, an attempted-murder charge was stayed after the alleged victim in the attack — a man believed to be associated with a rival gang — claimed to have no idea what had happened, despite contradictory witness testimony.
The Crown later alleged Russell had scared witnesses in both trials.
It's not known if Russell will appeal.
