Minutes before being led away in handcuffs, a young man told St. Albert court he deserved to go to a federal penitentiary for two years.
Christian Thomas Larsen pleaded guilty to one count of drug trafficking in court on Monday, earning a 24-month sentence.
Larsen declined the advice of the prosecutor and judge by representing himself. He pleaded guilty to selling one gram of cocaine to an undercover officer then held his wrists together to accept the sheriff’s cuffs.
Crown prosecutor William Wister had suggested Larsen consider getting a lawyer because the Crown would be pushing for two years of federal time due to a prior conviction for cocaine trafficking. Judge Bruce Garriock agreed.
“The court strongly advises you seek counsel,” Garriock said.
Larsen replied he was aware and informed and prepared to deal with his case on his own. He then went along with Wister’s submission.
“I’m agreeing to the two years. I think that’s appropriate under the circumstances,” Larsen said.
Larsen was arrested following a large-scale drug sting operation that netted 65 arrests and 153 charges. Dubbed Project Kompression by the RCMP, the sting targeted low-level drug dealers in communities throughout the Capital region, including St. Albert and Morinville.
Larsen sold one gram of cocaine to an undercover officer in October 2010.
“This is a single low-end sale of a substance,” Wister said of Larsen’s crime.
Larsen served 10 months of house arrest after a 2008 conviction for cocaine trafficking that came after he twice sold the banned narcotic to undercover officers. At that time the court described Larsen as a dial-a-doper, a drug dealer who takes orders over the phone and is usually part of a larger criminal organization.
The drug sale that resulted in Larsen’s second conviction came from working in bars and being exposed to seedy elements, he said.
“My lifestyle could only be described as self-destructive,” Larsen said.
“This is not a situation of continued trafficking as a commercial enterprise. It was one night of indiscretion,” he added.
Larsen has since taken steps to straighten out his life, which included getting a job in the oil patch, he said.
Garriock gave Larsen credit for his candour and accepting responsibility for his actions.
“You’re not attempting to shift blame … owning up to a lifestyle that was not in your best interests,” Garriock said.
