Joseph Pauze was sentenced for possessing fentanyl for the purposes of trafficking and crystal methamphetamine.
The Crown sought a penitentiary term of 4-8 years for fentanyl and 3-6 months consecutive for methamphetamine, while the defendant sought a conditional sentence.
The court considered the dangerous nature of fentanyl, the local opioid crisis, the defendant's lengthy criminal record including prior trafficking convictions, and mitigating factors such as his age, poor health, and cooperation.
The court found the trafficking level to be beyond street level and emphasized denunciation and deterrence.
A six-year sentence for fentanyl trafficking and a concurrent six-month sentence for methamphetamine possession were imposed, along with forfeiture, a lifetime weapons prohibition, and a DNA order.