(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Sheldon Spackman

"Profound Mistake"

Red Deer man gets four-and-a-half years for trafficking cocaine

Jan 18, 2021 | 12:47 PM

A Red Deer man charged in a major drug and weapons bust over two years ago has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail.

Keegan William Robinson, 28, reaffirmed his guilty plea to trafficking cocaine in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on Monday, while 17 other counts against him were dropped.

Robinson, along with Levin Gabriel Hill, now 27, were initially charged in June of 2018 following a lengthy organized crime investigation by ALERT’s organized crime team dubbed ’Project Rails.’

A total of 57 charges were laid after officers seized five firearms and more than $250,000 worth of drugs and cash from residences in Red Deer and Sylvan Lake.

Prior to sentencing, court heard Robinson was involved in eight drug transactions over the span of several months ranging from one to four ounces per transaction for a total of 15 ounces.

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Robinson, who worked at a local car dealership at the time, had his involvement described as that of a distributor who actively recruited customers, including an undercover RCMP officer.

Crown prosecutor Dennis Hrabcak noted Robinson was “clearly motivated by financial gain or greed,” acknowledging no evidence of substance abuse by Robinson himself.

Defence lawyer Wil Wilms admitted his client made “an exercise in incredibly poor judgement.”

In addition to his four-and-a-half years of incarceration to be served at Bowden Institution, and in a joint submission accepted by Madame Justice Nancy Dilts, Robinson was also given a 10-year firearms prohibition and lifetime prohibited weapons ban, plus an order for DNA submission.

Hilts described Robinson’s actions as a profound mistake.

“This is very clearly a personal tragedy and a tragedy for your family,” said Hilts. “Your actions were not just minor involvement. This is not a victimless crime.

“Remember, this is not commerce. Drug trafficking is a crisis. It’s a social crisis,” added Hilts.

Robinson’s co-accused, Levin Hill, is scheduled for sentencing in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench April 30.