Michael Kidd, the head of one of Canada’s biggest underground labs, known as Mission Labs, was sentenced to under 90 days in jail and his girlfriend, who is apparently accused of committing murder, was only given probation. Both of the sentences are rather light in retrospect to what they could’ve faced, but either way, the results of the case show that Canada’s stance on illegal steroids are nowhere as strict as the United States, a place where criminals are facing multiple decades in many cases for their illegal drug manufacturing and distribution. It should also be known that in terms of chemical usage of certain drugs is primarily treated more like a public health issue versus a criminal justice issue.
Another unique thing about Kidd’s sentence is the fact that he’s being permitted to serve it intermittently. This means that you don’t have to continuously serve the sentence 89 days straight. Instead, it could be served in different rates, showing further that the sentence he’s received is really not all that serious at all. While Kidd was being charged with the crime of drug selling and distribution, he was also getting in trouble because of the fact he had possession of a few controlled substances, namely fetanyl and oxycontin. The former of which is a chemical often used as a substitute for heroin.
His girlfriend was similarly punished for possession of controlled substances and was advised in legal writing that she could not associate with Kidd. Aside from the possession of the aforementioned drugs, Kidd was also manufacturing and distributing testosterone and methamphetamine, both of which are substances that violate Canada’s anti-drug legislation, the Controlled Substances and Drug Abuse Act.
Given the relatively light punishments that both of them faced, it’s proof that if you’re planning on making a good living selling drugs, it might be a good idea to move to Canada. While these punishments were obviously rather light, it’s evident that the criminal investigation that was conducted against them was by no means light.
The Canadian authorities had tracked the UGL for over a period of two months, and after gather enough information and data to put together a case, they had decided to end the investigation and put Kidd behind bars, albeit for only a period of about three months. What made the case particularly interesting is that in terms of the case, the federal prosecutor was curious as to why their sentences were so light.
The judge’s explanation was very interesting. Citing the fact that both of the defendants were drug addicts and had possession of the illegal narcotics, the judge saw them more as addicts that needed help versus hard-core drug traffickers that need to be thrown in jail with the key locked away. His girlfriend’s testimony was also very specific, because of the fact that she self-admitted that she was aware of her actions. Given that the country of Canada does not have as firm of a fist when it comes to drugs, it is a bit surprising, but at the end of the day, not shocking by any means.
With Mission Labs gone, other UGLs will continue the distribution of anabolic steroids in Canada. Wit h such lenient sentencing, the amount of suppliers may now increase.
Source: http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2017/10/24/sentencing-of-sauble-steriod-traffickers-done
