A former mixed martial artist facing four drug-related charges failed to appear in Prince George provincial court on Tuesday for the start of a trial on the matters.
However, Ryan Timothy Chiappe, 38, appears to have more pressing concerns to deal with - he's currently in custody in Kelowna where he faces a count of possession for the purpose of a controlled substance, along with five counts of breach of probation and two counts of breach of an undertaking or recognizance. He's been in custody in that city since Sunday, according to court records.
In Prince George, Chiappe is facing three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possession of a controlled substance as a result of two pullovers in late November 2014.
At the time of his arrest, police said they found more than 10 grams of heroin, with an estimated street value of more than $4,000, when they stopped a vehicle Chiappe was driving in an alley off Carney Street during the morning of Nov. 21.
Then, on the evening of Nov. 25, the same vehicle was stopped on Ogilvie and Chiappe was once again behind the wheel, police said. This time, they found more than two ounces of methamphetamine and 3.5 grams of cocaine, adding up to a value of $5,000, plus drug trafficking paraphernalia and a large sum of cash, police said.
Martha Marie Paquette, 29, was also arrested. She did appear in court on Tuesday and is now the subject of a three-day trial on two counts of trafficking.
Once known as "Ruthless" Ryan Chiappe, he carried a 10-8 won-lost record as a welterweight mixed martial arts fighter - some of his fights were held in Prince George - but has not had a bout since August 2013, according to websites devoted to the sport.
He was born in Prince George but was living in the Lower Mainland when he was arrested on the trafficking charges.
A year ago, Chiappe was sentenced to two years probation for for three counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000, and one count each of assault, uttering threats to cause bodily harm, and breach of an undertaking or recognizance from a December 2014 arrest.
At the time, he was suspected of stealing a puppy. The allegedly-stolen dog was found in his vehicle when police pulled him over. RCMP then executed a search warrant on a Minotti Drive home associated with Chiappe and found two stolen motor bikes, police said at the time.
