Cocaine bust nets Washington state man 14 years
By Mona Mattei
Fourteen years in prison for trying to import 83 kilograms of cocaine into Canada in the false floor of a minivan was the sentence for a 49-year-old Washington man, Scott Fleming Powers.
Powers was sentenced in relation to a joint Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and RCMP Federal Drug Enforcement investigation resulting from the drug seizure last December. “The RCMP reminds you that if you choose to traffic in drugs, you risk your own freedom and are also part of a tremendous burden to your fellow citizens” said Insp. Keith Pearce, the officer in charge of operations in district drug sections in B.C. 49-year-old Scott Fleming Powers and 55-year-old Diane Marie Green Powers arrived to cross into Canada for a day of shopping on Dec. 16, 2010 at the Carson border crossing near Grand Forks. During the initial questioning, the border services officer noted an excessive amount of luggage in the minivan for a simple day trip. This, and other inconsistencies noted in their initial interview, led the border services officer to refer the couple for a more in-depth examination. During the examination of the minivan, the officers found that the seats were not the manufactured stow-away seats for this type of minivan. After removing the seats, they discovered screws had been tampered with and found two compartments filled with bricks of suspected cocaine. A total of 61 packets of suspected cocaine were found in the rear seating compartment, and an additional 22 packets were found in the compartment behind the driver and passenger seats worth an estimated $3.5 million. At the time of the arrest, Eron Labadie, superintendent, Carson Port of Entry expressed his support for the local border guards involved with the bust. “The officers and I who work at the Port of Carson also live in the community,” said Labadie, “We have a strong sense of pride about what happens in that community. We’re all very proud of the fact that we stopped 83 kilos of cocaine from entering our streets.” Both Powers’ were initially charged, but the charges against Diane have now been stayed.
Scott Powers, on the other hand, was found guilty of one count of Importation of a Controlled Substance and one count of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. For the four months he served in pre-trial custody, Scott will have four months subtracted from his 14-year-sentence. Diane Powers’ minivan has also been ordered seized by the courts. In a joint RCMP / CBSA statement issued today (May 17) the agencies commended the border services team.
“The CBSA is pleased that our Border Services Officers contributed and continue to contribute to a safer Canada, by getting one more drug smuggler off of our streets and protecting our citizens,” said Glyn Lee, Director Okanagan & Kootenay District. “Successes like this are always a team effort and the CBSA remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners, such as the RCMP’s Federal Drug Enforcement members, to stop the flow of illegal and dangerous drugs into our communities.”
