By EverythingGP staff

Court

Court update: Sentencing in drug arrest and after threats made with firearm, preliminary hearing set in child pornography case

Dec 22, 2021 | 6:26 AM

Sentence given in drugs, weapons arrest

Alberta Justice says a man charged in a December 2020 drugs and weapons arrest in Grande Prairie has been given a 90-day jail sentence.

Jonathan Kevin Romeo Derasp of Grande Prairie pleaded guilty to five of the 21 charges he was facing including possession of a weapon in a vehicle, contravene storage of a firearm regulations, and three more of failure to comply.

Five charges for possession for the purpose of trafficking, two other weapons counts, and nine more of failure to comply were withdrawn. Derasp had built up 90 days credit for pretrial time spent in jail

He and Julia Elvena King, also of Grande Prairie, had a trial date set for December 13. A decision in the charges against King is expected January 21.

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This past January, a third man charged, Brian Healey of Spirit River, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance and was given a $1500 fine.

All three were arrested on December 2, 2020.

RCMP said at the time they were on patrol in the Mission Heights area when they spotted a suspicious vehicle in front of what they called “a known residence.”

A traffic stop was initiated, and arrests made.

A search of the suspects and the vehicle turned up a rifle, shotgun, brass knuckles, an extendable baton, crystal meth, crack cocaine, and pills.

Preliminary hearing set in child pornography case

Alberta Justice says a preliminary hearing date has been set for a Grande Prairie man charged with making, possessing, or distributing child pornography after a tip came to investigators from the United Kingdom.

The hearing is set for September 28, 2022.

The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s Internet Child Exploitation unit said the July arrest was made after a report of a suspect sharing child sexual abuse materials with someone in the UK by social media.

The UK’s National Crime Agency contacted ICE in June.

A court-ordered publication ban prohibits the release of any information that may identify the victim.

One year in jail after threats made with firearm

Alberta Justice says a man charged after an incident where police said threats were made with a firearm has been given a year in jail.

Sentencing for Collin Strand had been delayed several times.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to charges of extortion, assault with a weapon, mischief causing damage under $5000, and unauthorized possession of a firearm. Eight other charges had been withdrawn.

RCMP said at the time that they had been called out just before 2 p.m. on February 22, 2018, about a man making threats with a firearm.

Police got to the scene and stayed outside of a home on Grande Prairie’s south end before the suspect tried to run away. The Police Dog Service helped bring him in.

A search of the home resulted in weapons and ammunition being seized.