THUNDER BAY - A Toronto-area man who was arrested and charged after police found more than $2,300 in cash on him in February will spend the next year on probation after being sentenced on Wednesday.
Jurell Swindell, 19, appeared in a Thunder Bay courtroom by audio on Wednesday, Sept. 16, to enter a guilty plea to one count of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
Judge Marc Bode endorsed a joint sentence proposal for Swindell of a suspended sentence and a year of probation for his charges stemming from a Feb. 21 incident in the city.
The court heard Thunder Bay police officers attended a Brodie Street residence after receiving a distress call in February. When officers attended, they found four individuals including Swindell and cocaine in plain view in a bedroom.
After Swindell was arrested and searched, police found more than $2,300 in cash on his person, Federal crown prosecutor Ron Poirier said, adding the accused agreed the money seized by police were proceeds of crime.
“The Crown was not in a position to prove whose cocaine it was as there were four individuals in the room and as such have accepted a plea to the 354 (charge),” Poirier said.
Swindell’s lawyer, Patricia Vo, told the court her client has no criminal record and has had no further charges since was released on bail in March.
Vo also said her client has a great relationship with his family and has a strong desire to resolve his court matters and move on with his life.
“He plans on pursuing further education after high school,” Vo said.
Part of his probation conditions requires Swindell to have no contact with his co-accused Mohamed Musse and to not be found within the district of Thunder Bay.
Judge Bode praised Swindell for his plans to pursue his education, but reminded him of the seriousness of his conviction and to stay out of any other future drug activity.
“This conviction is going to be an impediment to doing everything you want to do in the future, but it’s an impediment you can overcome,” he said. “I want to be clear, you can’t be involved in any drug trade in the future because if you are, a further conviction will probably seriously damage all of your future plans.”
The $2,305 seized was ordered to be forfeited by the Crown. Other charges against Swindell were withdrawn.
