Robert Cada, an Indigenous person, pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking.
The Crown sought an 8-year custodial sentence, while the defence argued for 4 years based on the parity principle with a non-Indigenous co-accused and factors related to Mr. Cada's Indigenous heritage.
The court considered aggravating factors, including the large quantity of fentanyl and Mr. Cada's significant criminal record, and mitigating factors, such as his guilty plea and the impact of intergenerational trauma as outlined in his Gladue Report.
The court sentenced Mr. Cada to 7 years imprisonment, less credit for pre-sentence custody, along with a DNA order, a lifetime weapons prohibition, and a forfeiture order.
