St. Paul RCMP were on scene at a local business for a number of hours on Oct. 9, executing a search warrant at Wild West Exchange pawn shop, and arresting three people.
"We received multiple complaints and information from the public that the Wild West Exchange was being used to sell cannabis unlawfully. Although cannabis is legal in Canada, this business had no permit to sell and the investigation also lead to the seizure of drugs under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The St. Paul RCMP is committed to ensuring its communities are safe," said Sgt. David Graham of the St. Paul RCMP, in a media release sent out on Friday.
St. Paul RCMP, with the assistance of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT), conducted an investigation into a local pawn shop after receiving complaints and information from the public that the store was being used to sell cannabis unlawfully.
On Oct. 9, St. Paul RCMP, with the assistance of the Eastern Alberta District Rural Crime Reduction Unit (EADRCRU), executed a search warrant at the Wild West Exchange pawn shop in St. Paul. The search resulted in three individuals being taken into custody and multiple charges being laid, according to the media release.
RCMP seized cannabis, cannabis edibles, hashish and a marijuana concentrate commonly referred to as "shatter."
Gordon Emil Anderson of St. Paul was charged with the following:
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Possession of a controlled substance contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act X 2
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Trafficking contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act X 2
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Selling contrary to the Cannabis Act X 2
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Possession for the purpose of selling contrary to the Cannabis Act
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Production contrary to the Cannabis Act X 2
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Possession of property obtained by Crime X 2
Mary Gloria Crane of St. Paul was charged with the following:
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Possession of a controlled substance contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act X 2
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Trafficking contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act X 2
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Selling contrary to the Cannabis Act X 2
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Possession for the purpose of selling contrary to the Cannabis Act
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Production contrary to the Cannabis Act X 2
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Possession of property obtained by Crime X 2
Richard Blasko of Venon, B.C. was charged with the following:
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Possession of a controlled substance contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act X 2
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Trafficking of a controlled substance contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act X 2
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Selling contrary to the Cannabis Act X 2
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Possession for the purpose of selling contrary to the Cannabis Act
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Production contrary to the Cannabis Act X 2
- Unauthorized possession of a firearm X 2
- Possession of a firearm knowing it's unauthorized X 2
- Careless storage of a firearm X 2
- Possession of a firearm at an unauthorized place X 2
All three individuals were released to appear in St. Paul Provincial Court on Dec. 19.
