A Winnipeg man has pleaded guilty to running one of the largest cocaine operations ever shut down by city police.
Thomaz Martin Nataluk, 25, admitted responsibilty Monday just as his Queen’s Bench trial was set to begin. He will be sentenced later this fall under a joint-recommendation from Crown and defence lawyers. Sources say the proposed penalty will be in the range of eight years.
Nataluk was arrested in June 2007 after investigators seized 15 kilograms of cocaine -- worth up to $1.8 million on the street -- along with $525,000 in cash during a raid of a downtown apartment block. Officers also found 14 firearms, including two fully automatic sub-machine guns, inside three suites on Donald Street.
Nataluk spent six months in custody before he was released on bail. His lawyer, Paul Gill, initially accused police of conducting an illegal search and claimed he would challenge the validity of the case at trial.
Police first stopped Nataluk in traffic on Broadway and found two kilograms of cocaine inside the vehicle, court was told. They were then led to the nearby apartment but went in without obtaining a warrant. An additional 13 kilograms of cocaine was found inside, with more than $500,000 cash lying on a table.
Police also found ingredients to bake brick after brick of crack cocaine, with several Pyrex cooking pans of freshly made crack cocaine and one batch being mixed before putting it in the oven. As the search continued in the other suites, officers seized a black Ralph Lauren duffel bag stuffed with two Mac 11 machine-guns and 12 handguns, plus ammunition.
Police said the apartment was the centre for a major crack cocaine production and distribution centre and they had reason to act immediately. The Crown dropped proceed of crime charges Monday which had been previously laid against Nataluk’s 26-year-old girlfriend, who was the registered tenant of the apartment suite.
I agree with the defence lawyer that the search was definitely illegal, as the police needed a search warrant. Even those this man pleaded guilty, I believe that 8 years is far too harsh. I believe that only the most dangerous criminals should be sentenced to prison, not non-violent, drug, or property offenders. This man will likely become negatively influenced by the prison environment and subculture as gangs and drugs and pro-criminal attitudes/behaviours are prevalent. He will likely become further involved and entrenched in the criminal lifestyle. If this man has been successful on bail and has obeyed conditions, I would see no reason to further imprison him. If this were the case, I would sentence this man to a 2 year conditional sentence.
This man was arrested in possession of a number of firearms including 2 Mac 11 Machine guns, 1/2 million cash derived from drug sales, and over a million dollars worth of cocaine. What kind of a detterent would that be to give this 'non-violent'criminal a conditional sentence order. And Brittany, I'm sure you are aware from your university classes that the police may enter without warrant based on exigent circumstances (prevent loss or destruction of evidence). You should know the facts before you provide your opinion. Obviously, the evidence would not have been admitted after the preliminary hearing and the defense lawyer would have had the evidence ruled inadmissible.
ReplyDelete1st year law student
Deterrence has been proven to be ineffective for most criminals. This is because most crime is impulsive and most criminals are not rational and do not consider the prospect or threat of punishment in prison. If this man has been following conditions on bail, there is no reason to imprison him, except for revenge, which is unjustifiable. Yes, I know the circumstances under which they can enter without a search warrant. I suppose I do not know all of the facts surrounding the procedures used in this specific case, but from the sounds of it, it was not a legal search.
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