Jail guard pleads guilty to drug possession for trafficking

A Saint John jail guard has pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Joel Dion Thomas, 49, also pleaded guilty Monday to possession of property obtained by crime, not exceeding $5,000.

Thomas was scheduled to face a trial in provincial court, but ended up changing his pleas.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4.

In the meantime, he continues living in the community under court-ordered conditions.

Department of Public Safety officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Thomas was arrested near the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre last October by members of the Saint John Police Force's street crime unit. About 28 grams of marijuana was seized, police had said at the time.

Another 72 grams of marijuana and an undisclosed amount of cash was also seized during a subsequent search at Thomas's home in the city's south end, police said.

The combined street value of the marijuana was about $2,000, according to police.