Photo Credit: Grande Prairie RCMP

By Shane Clausing

RCMP

Weapons and drugs seized, three charged following traffic stop

Dec 7, 2020 | 2:13 PM

The Grande Prairie RCMP Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) has charged three people with various offences following a traffic stop on December 2.

During the traffic stop, the RCMP CRU was patrolling in the Mission Heights neighborhood when Mounties spotted a suspicious vehicle in front of a known residence.

A further look into the suspicious vehicle found that one of the occupants was in breach of previous court release conditions, while another was wanted on outstanding warrants.

There were three people inside the vehicle, all of whom were arrested.

A search of that vehicle led to the following items were found:

• Loaded level action rifle, with 3x .44 ammunitions (hidden inside a violin case)
• 12-gauge shotgun (hidden inside a pool cue case)
• Brass knuckles
• Extendable baton
• Spring-loaded pocketknife
• Stolen Alberta drivers license
• 17.5 grams crystal methamphetamine
• 4.7 grams crack cocaine
• 16 Xanax pills
• 7 Methadone pills
• 8 Adderall pills
• Drug trafficking paraphernalia, including sale, ‘score sheet’, ‘dime bags’, and prepackaged drugs

Fifty-five-year-old, Brian Healey of Spirit River, 31-year-old Jonathan Derasp and 23-year-old Julia King, both of Grande Prairie, have each been charged with the following:

• Possession for the purpose of trafficking – Methamphetamine
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking – Methadone
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking – Cocaine
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking – Xanax
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking – Adderal
• Two counts of possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle
• Two counts of unsafe storage of firearms
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose

Deserap is facing further charges, which include:

• Seven counts of failure to comply with undertaking/ release order
• Three counts of possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order
• Possession of a prohibited weapon

King is further charged with:

• Three counts of failure to comply with undertaking/release order
• Possession of a prohibited weapon
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
• Illegal possession of government documents

Derasp was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Grande Prairie Provincial Court on Dec 7, 2020, while Healey and King were released and will appear in court on Jan. 13, 2021.

Derasp and two other people were charged after an August arrest where drugs and firearms were seized after a search of a Grande Prairie home. All three are due back in court on December 15.

King and three others were charged after a search of a hotel room in Grande Prairie in July of last year turned up drugs and weapons. The charges against all four were withdrawn in September.