Stock photo courtesy of the Provincial Court of B.C.

By Liam Verster

Drugs and weapons charges

Vernon man sentenced to five years in drug trafficking case

Oct 30, 2023 | 3:23 PM

A Vernon man has been sentenced to five years in prison in relation to a large scale drug trafficking ring.

Oakley Charest, 35, and several other men, including a full-patch Hells Angel, were arrested in July of 2021 in connection with the drug trafficking operation.

In December of 2022, Charest was charged with trafficking a controlled substance for a criminal organization; conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance; trafficking a controlled substance; possession of a prohibited weapon; two counts of possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition; and possession of a firearm while prohibited contrary to order.

In May of 2023, Charest pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, possession of a firearm, and possession of a prohibited/restricted firearm.

Charest appeared in B.C. Provincial Court Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, where the case was laid out.

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Charest was reportedly surveyed between September 2020 and July 2021 and was observed receiving drug shipments at his residence in Vernon eight times during that period.

The Crown stated that, when he was arrested in July of 2021, Charest was in possession of drugs he received from another individual, which included 62 grams of fentanyl and 56 grams of crack cocaine. The other individual was also arrested, and in their possession was a box from Charest containing $41,895.

Police also executed search warrants at Charest’s residence and at a storage locker in Vernon, where officers uncovered a bag containing firearms, accessories, over-sized magazines and ammunition.

Police also obtained warrants for several cellphones recovered from the members alleged to have been involved in the drug trafficking ring, and communication between them confirmed the operations.

The Crown and defence issued a joint submission for the sentencing, recommending a five-year prison term for the drug trafficking charge, as fentanyl is a Schedule 1 substance, a three-year concurrent sentence for possession of a firearm, and a three-year concurrent sentence for possession of a prohibited/restricted firearm. The submission also recommended a lifetime firearms prohibition.

Charest did have a criminal record stemming from an undisclosed incident in 2011.

The defence, remarking on the joint submission, stated Charest had a rough childhood including abuse, homelessness, not completing high school, and a drug addiction that led to an overdose. However, he has had lawful employment at a vape store in Vernon for the past 18 months since his arrest, and has also helped get his son employment at the store as well.

Charest did not provide a statement in court.

The judge ruled in favour of the joint submission and sentenced Charest to five years for drug trafficking, three years concurrent for possession of firearm, three years concurrent for possession of a restricted/prohibited firearm, for a total sentence of five years. He also ruled in favour of the lifetime firearm prohibition.