A Prince George man was sentenced to a further two years and one day in a federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking charges Thursday.
In all, Troy Anthony Wrixon, 46, was sentenced to three years less 364 days credit for time served. Wrixon was actually eligible for up to 390 days credit - based on 1 1/2 days for each of the 260 days he had spent in custody prior to sentencing - but he wanted to remain in the federal system where he has access to addiction treatment programs not available provincially.
The convictions stem from arrests on Feb. 16, 2016 and June 9, 2016.
The first arrest occurred in Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park, two days after RCMP had launched an investigation on a tip Brook Michael Lacey might be selling methamphetamine out of his home.
Police had followed Lacey to a parking lot at the park where they saw him and Wrixon make an exchange of drugs for cash. Police seized 14 grams of methamphetamine from Lacey and a search of Wrixon's car and wallet uncovered $1,550 in cash. And text messages related to drug dealing were found on his cellphone, the court was told.
In a subsequent search of Wrixon's home in the Evergreen Mobile Home Park on North Nechako Road, police found 3.1 grams of rock cocaine, 1.8 grams of methamphetamine and items used to package and sell drugs.
By April 25, 2016, Wrixon was out on bail but was eventually not presenting himself at his door for curfew. On June 8, 2016, police found Wrixon in his car and he was arrested following a "bit of a hard takedown" that saw police cutting his seatbelt and dragging him out of the vehicle.
This time, police seized 11 baggies adding up to 17.5 grams of rock cocaine, 23.48 grams of methamphetamine and 8.99 grams of heroin divided into 22 lots. A club was also found in Wrixon's car and a subsequent analysis of the heroin revealed one per cent of it was fentanyl.
Both the club and the fentanyl were listed as aggravating factors although the court was told
heroin users are willing to accept product containing fentanyl, providing it makes up no more one per cent of the total, despite the spike of deaths from that drug.
Prior to the most-recent convictions, Wrixon's criminal record consisted of 54 offences, 49 of them for petty property crimes, as well as one count of trafficking and four counts of possession.
Wrixon grew up in Halifax and left at age 15 to escape an abusive home life, the court heard. He hitchhiked to Vancouver where he developed a drug addiction.
However, his record shows a lull beginning February 2009 and August 2015. During that time, Wrixon had stopped using prohibited drugs but then had a relapsed.
Wrixon, a Red Seal carpenter, is now taking Suboxone to deal with an opioid dependence and is seeking a spot in a treatment centre.
"This speaks to the fact he's determined to get away from the revolving door which is drug addiction," defence lawyer James Pakenham Jr. told the court.
In October 2016, Lacey was sentenced to 18 months probation after pleading guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking. He had spent 174 days in custody following his arrest.
Wrixon's sentence was a joint submission between Crown and defence counsels and was issued in B.C. Supreme Court.
