By rdnewsNOW staff

Former WHL player, pro basketball player arrested in Red Deer drug trafficking busts

Aug 1, 2018 | 12:09 PM

A former Western Hockey League player and a professional basketball player from Europe are among six recent drug trafficking arrests in our city.

The Red Deer RCMP drug unit conducted a series of search warrants and drug arrests over the past month which resulted in the seizure of methamphetamine, cocaine, GHB and fentanyl.

Police say these targeted arrests were part of their continuous focus on the drug trade and the violence and property crimes that accompany it.

“RCMP are constantly gathering intelligence through tips from the public and our ongoing covert operations in the community. These search warrants and arrests are the visible culmination of a lot of behind the scenes work that targets repeat offenders,” says Sergeant Robert Schultz with the Red Deer RCMP. “Red Deerians do an excellent job reporting suspicious and criminal activity to police, and we thank them for helping police to apply continuous pressure to drug traffickers and keep putting them before the courts.”

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On July 24, Mounties conducted a search warrant on a south end hotel room and seized significant amounts of cocaine, GHB and marijuana along with cash that was seized as the proceeds of crime.

Jarrett Albert Hart, 37, faces three counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. He is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on August 16.

Hart, who was born in London, England and raised in Arkansas, is a professional basketball player with Keravnos Strovolos in Cyprus. Hart is also a member of the Great Britain national basketball team

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On July 10, officers conducted a search warrant at a residence in the Sunnybrook neighbourhood and seized cocaine and cash.

Jordan Hale, 28, and Mack Hawthorne, 23, each face one charge of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. Hale and Hawthorne are both scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on August 23.

Hale, a Lacombe native, played junior hockey with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL from 2007 to 2010, and with the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL in 2010-11.

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On June 26, police were searching for a suspect who was wanted on outstanding warrants for failing to comply with the conditions of a recognizance.

RCMP located the suspect at a residence in Riverside Meadows. The suspect and two other male suspects entered a vehicle which then rammed a police vehicle. The suspect driver attempted to flee on foot but was arrested after a brief foot chase, along with the two other suspects who had remained in the vehicle.

Mounties seized methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and cash from the vehicle. One police officer sustained minor injuries in the collision.

Ryan Karol, 36, faces a long list of charges which includes three counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing injury, flight from police, possession of property obtained by crime, assault on a police officer with intent to resist arrest, driving while disqualified, and three counts of failure to comply with conditions of a recognizance.

Karol is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on August 9.

Lincoln Capel, 32, and a 24-year-old woman, each face three charges of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and are also to appear in court on August 9. The woman’s charges were withdrawn on January 25, 2019.

(Troy Gillard, with file from Red Deer RCMP media release)