The lawyer of a Yukon woman found guilty of selling crack cocaine to an undercover police officer is planning on arguing that his client was entrapped.
Yukon Supreme Court Justice Edith Campbell found Diana Johns guilty June 10 of one count of trafficking crack cocaine under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, following a half-day trial.
The trial heard from one witness — an undercover police officer who Johns sold a piece of crack to in 2017.
The officer’s name is covered by a publication ban.
The officer testified that he was participating in a larger RCMP sting operation nicknamed “Project Multitool” in 2017 when, on Jan. 5, he was instructed to try to buy drugs from a group of men at the Barracks Apartments on Range Road.
While the officer was invited into an apartment by the men, he didn’t get any crack from them. Instead, he said, while he was waiting, Johns, who was also in the apartment, offered to sell him a piece for $50.
The officer said Johns had told him her name was “Dice,” but that there was an old newspaper article on the apartment’s wall with a photo of Johns and another woman. The photo caption had Johns’ real name, the officer said, and he was able to recognize her in court.
During cross-examination, the officer denied ever asking Johns for crack, or that he had been “persistent” in trying to buy drugs from any of his “targets” in Whitehorse.
The defence did not call any evidence.
While Crown attorney Ludovic Gouaillier said the Crown was ready to proceed to sentencing, Johns’ lawyer, Vincent Larochelle said he intended to file an application for a stay of proceedings on the basis of entrapment — namely, that the officer had pressured Johns into selling him crack.
Contact Jackie Hong at jackie.hong@yukon-news.com
