B.C. civil forfeiture director has gained $37,225 linked to two suspected Burns Lake drug traffickers.
According to a notice of claim, Michael Roy Dell and Lizanne Darlene Dell were the subjects of an investigation when, on June 19, 2020, RCMP launched a search of a property at 4525 Highway 16 West, just west of the community 230 kilometres west of Prince George.
Police seized a security safe containing a 315 gram block of cocaine, a plastic container holding 10 grams of cocaine, two keys and one skeleton key plus two envelopes and 26 Ziploc bags holding a total of $27,040 in cash.
Also seized were 21 baggies that collectively contained 19 grams of cocaine, a "drug kit with white residue," three mobile phones, a bag filled with empty dime bags, six Ziploc bags containing a total of $6,060 and $2,125 scattered throughout the property.
The money was "bundled or packaged in a manner not consistent with standard banking practices," the director said in the notice of claim filed in November 2023.
Lizanne Dell was arrested on the day and the couple were later criminally charged, however the counts were stayed on August 10, 2023.
To convict someone criminally, Crown prosecution must prove guilty beyond reasonable doubt. In contrast, an action brought by the director is a civil matter in which the outcome is decided on the lesser threshold of a balance of probabilities.
In December 2023, the couple were subsequently served with the notice of claim but no response had since been provided, according to related court documents.
On March 5, the director secured an order an order forfeiting the cash.
Money generated through the province's civil forfeiture grant program goes toward community safety and crime-prevention initiatives, support for people experiencing gender-based violence, and Indigenous people recovering from trauma.
