Astor Li

Sentencing decision arising from a guilty plea to multiple drug trafficking offences involving kilogram quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, together with possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm connected to a large-scale commercial trafficking enterprise.

The court treated denunciation and deterrence as dominant objectives given the extreme community harm associated with fentanyl trafficking and the offender’s trusted role in maintaining a stash house, while recognizing his youth, guilty pleas, lack of record, rehabilitative efforts, family support, and harsh pre-sentence custody as mitigating factors.

Alleged additional state misconduct relating to strip searches, disclosure access, religious restrictions, and institutional conditions was found to lack a sufficient evidentiary foundation, except that lockdowns and triple bunking were considered generally as mitigating conditions of custody.

Applying totality, the court directed the firearm sentence to run concurrently and imposed a global sentence of 9.5 years, reduced by Summers credit.

Sentencing decision for production of methamphetamine contrary to s. 7(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The accused participated in a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory as part of Project Odeon, a large-scale drug network investigation.

The accused played a lower-to-middle level role in the hierarchy.

Aggravating factors included participation in commercial drug production.

Mitigating factors included no prior criminal record, guilty plea, genuine remorse, positive rehabilitative prospects, and collateral consequences from interrupted medical treatment during pre-sentence custody.

The court imposed a 5-year sentence less pre-sentence custody credit, with 2 years probation.