Roger Stubbs, former hockey coach, sentenced for minor role in pot ring
A former minor hockey coach swept up in a large police raid targeting a ring that used medical marijuana licences to illegally traffic drugs was sentenced to nine months probation and handed a $500 fine Thursday.
Roger Stubbs had just 10 plants when he was arrested in December 2012. At the time, he coached the Eastern Shore Midget AA team, but was subsequently stripped of those duties.
The high profile drug bust netted more than two dozen people, including a former Olympic paddler and an elementary school teacher. Police said they seized 20 kilograms of marijuana, 2,207 marijuana plants and more than $100,000 in cash.
But it appears that at least some of those caught were minor players. On Thursday, the court heard Stubbs has no criminal record, while Crown prosecutor Scott Millar said the 10 plants were at the "low end of severity for cases of this kind."
"I take full responsibility for my actions," Stubbs told the court, apologizing to his family and community.
Charges have also been dropped against some others named in the RCMP investigation. Earlier this year, the Crown withdrew charges against Darlene Hinch, whose husband was sentenced to jail for marijuana production.
The court was told Thursday about another offender caught in the bust who in November was handed the same sentence as Stubbs for growing 15 plants.
In January, CBC News revealed that police had used wiretaps to gather evidence before raiding 14 locations in the Halifax area.
