Updates on 10 court cases

RCMP said at the time they found Whitehead’s body after getting a call about someone they described as an “unresponsive male.”

Details on how or where he died were not released.

Jail time for Yellowknife man after fatal crash near High Level

Alberta Justice says a Yellowknife man has been given a three-and-a-half year jail sentence after a 33-year-old woman died in a crash in June of last year.

Bradley Storm Beaulieu was given a 1,277-day sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of impaired driving causing death, plus a concurrent 730-day sentence, after admitting to another count of impaired driving causing bodily harm September 24 in High Level court.

Mounties said at the time on June 24, 2023, a Dodge Ram going south was travelling on the wrong side of the road when it collided with a Silverado going north on Highway 35, 10 kilometres north of the intersection with Highway 697.

The woman who died was in the Silverado, as was a man who suffered what police called serious injuries.

Cause of womans death in Falher fire cannot be determined

Court documents show the cause of death for a woman who was found dead after a trailer fire in Falher in September of 2021 could not be determined.

Back in June, Roderick Ellery-Sorensen pleased guilty to a charge of interfering with a dead body and given a 361-day jail sentence. He had also been facing charges of murder and arson with disregard for human life.

An agreed statement of facts filed with Edmonton Court of King’s Bench says Ellery-Sorensen and the woman had been using a pipe and gas powered torch to use methamphetamine.

The woman was intoxicated when she went after Ellery-Sorensen with a kitchen knife. He disarmed her and went to the bathroom to clean up after injuries to his hand and forearm.

In the meantime, the torch that had been knocked over during the altercation between the two started a fire that spread quickly. The woman had died while Ellery-Sorensen was in the bathroom.

He admitted to the interfering with a dead body charge by moving her body to cover up the fact they had been using drugs.

The trailer burned to the ground. A neighbouring residence was also destroyed and another was damaged.

Second person handed jail time after drug, illegal cigarettes arrest

Alberta Justice says a second person out of five charged after illegal drugs and cigarettes were seized in June of last year has been given jail time.

John Medina of Calgary was given a 42-month sentence September 25 in Grande Prairie court after pleading guilty to a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Earlier, co-accused Kaitlen Mulek pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking and was also handed a 42-month jail sentence.

They were among a group charged in July of 2023 after what police called at the time a multi month investigation that started in the fall of 2022.

Three searches done in various parts of the city led to the seizure of 87 cartons of illegal cigarettes, close to 1.6 kilograms of cocaine, close to 1 kilogram of fentanyl, and over 3.1 kilograms of methamphetamine.

A third accused, Hananluiza Alshawabkeh, is set to stand trial in March while another, Faisel Huoseh, has a trial set for January. Another accused, Elwood Fraser, is due back in court later this month.

Community sentence after drug arrest

Alberta Justice says one of the six people charged after a 2023 drug bust in Grande Prairie has been given a two year conditional sentence order.

Delor Putrus was given the sentence September 25 after pleading guilty to a single charge of trafficking a controlled substance.

These sentences are served in the community and come with several conditions attached.

He was one of a half-dozen people charged in February of 2023 after searches of a home and vehicle in each of the Arbour Hills and Hillside neighbourhoods turned up over 240 grams of cocaine, cell phones, a prohibited handgun, and $9,000 cash.

Another man charged, Oghenemudiak Anderson-Otunu, was given the same sentence on April 8 of this year after pleading guilty to trafficking a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

A stay of proceedings wa su tin place in the case against another accused, Laszlo Ross Szentmikiossy. Three others were at large at the time they were charged.

Community sentence after 2022 shooting

Alberta Justice says a shooting incident in the County of Grande Prairie that sent a man to hospital has led to a conditional sentence order for another man.

Andrew Wayne MacPherson was given the sentence on one count of discharging a firearm with intent. Five other charges, one of which was aggravated assault, were withdrawn.

These sentences are served in the community and come with several conditions attached.

RCMP said at the time on February 14, 2022, they received a report of a man coming to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital with a gun shot wound in the back. Mounties said it was serious but not life-threatening.

The incident happened at Range Road 72 and Township Road 714 in the County of Grande Prairie.

MacPherson was arrested 11 days later.

Probation after threats, firearm incident

Alberta Justice says a man charged after an incident in February of this year has pleaded guilty to charges of careless use of a firearm and threats to cause damage.

Duncan Alexander Lougheed pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation October 2 in Grande Prairie court.

RCMP said at the time on February 26, 2024, there was a heavy police presence in the Hillside neighbourhood. Mounties later added that threats were made and the suspect had a firearm, but did not release further details.

Police said they were able to negotiate a peaceful arrest.

A shotgun with attachments, an air soft gun, and ammunition were all seized in a subsequent search.

Both people charged after home invasion given jail sentences

Alberta Justice says a second person charged after what police described as a home invasion in Grande Prairie have been sentenced.

Breanna Bower was given 14 days time served after pleading guilty to a charge of possession of a stolen credit card October 1 in Grande Prairie court. Charges of aggravated assault and housebreaking with intent were withdrawn.

In July, co-accused Jordan Noseworthy was given a 90 day sentence after admitting to a charge of assault causing bodily harm.

RCMP said at the time on July 26, 2023, they were called out after a report of a man and woman knocking on the door of a home near 102 Avenue and 85 Street.

The homeowner opened the door, the two forced their way inside, and the homeowner was assaulted.

The suspects stole some items before fleeing in a vehicle.

Dangerous driving, firearms arrest leads to sentences for two accused

Alberta Justice says two people charged after a dangerous driving incident last December in the Hillside area has led to sentences for the two accused.

On August 7, Jesse Bujold was given a 180-day jail term after pleading guilty to charges that include flight from a peace officer, resisting a peace officer, possession of a prohibited firearm, and failure to comply.

On September 24, Cheyanne Badger admitted to a count of resisting a peace officer and was given a $300 fine.

Both are from Grande Prairie.

RCMP said at the time just after 1 a.m. on December 4, 2023, they saw a vehicle being driven erratically while they were on patrol.

The driver sped away when police tried to pull the vehicle over.

It went out of control and came to a stop a short time later. The two people inside tried to run away but were arrested.

Mounties searched the vehicle and found a loaded shotgun, shotgun shells, and five grams of suspected methamphetamine.

Stay of proceedings in fraud case from southern Alberta with connections to Grande Prairie

Alberta Justice says a stay of proceedings is now in place in a case against man charged in a fraud investigation who had turned himself in at the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment.

The stay in the matter involving Romeo Junior Spence was put in place on August 7 in an Okotoks court.

An Edmonton man charged in this case, Dwayne-Ann Aaliyah Johnson, pleaded guilty to one charge of possession of stolen property and was given a conditional sentence and ordered to pay restitution.

A joint investigation between High River RCMP and federal money laundering investigators found that a senior was defrauded close to $200,000 in what police described as a lottery scheme. Details of how it worked were not released.

Spence and two other people have been charged in a human trafficking case.

ALERT alleges a Toronto woman was forced to work in the sex trade after coming to Grande Prairie.

A preliminary hearing is set for November 26 in Grande Prairie court.

by EverythingGP staff