Justin Ryan Owen previously entered a guilty plea in Summerside provincial court to a single count of possession of oxycodone for the purpose of trafficking.
Sentencing and facts in the case were adjourned until Tuesday so a presentence report could be prepared.
Owen was arrested on Sept. 7, 2012, following an undercover investigation by the Joint Forces Operation Drug Unit.
The unit, acting on source information, were doing surveillance on that day and observed a drug deal go down between Owen and another individual shortly after 6 p.m. in a parking lot at Read’s Corner.
Police arrested the man in the other vehicle and followed Owen to his home where he was arrested. There, police seized 100 Percocet polls, six oxycodone pills and Owen’s cellphone, which contained drug-related text messages.
He admitted to using 15 to 20 Percocet pills a day and to selling the pills for $8 apiece in order to support his drug habit.
Owen had one drug possession conviction on his record.
Crown attorney John Diamond detailed a presentence report in which Owen openly admitted to selling the drugs even after his arrest.
The report indicated that most of Owen’s adult life has been plagued by drug use and that his use of prescription pills and cocaine date back to 2004.
He has been in and out of detox, often not following through with treatment, Diamond told the court.
“It is a struggle to come up with much positive to say,” admitted Owen’s lawyer, Trish Cheverie. “He is indicating he knows what he has to do to get back on track.”
Judge Jeff Lantz, in sentencing Owen to jail time, said the sale of oxycodone is “prevalent in this jurisdiction” and a cause for concern.
“There appears to be more of these cases coming before the court,” said Lantz. “The presentence report indicates that he does have a serious drug addiction. That’s pretty obvious.”
Once out of jail, Owen will be on probation for 24 months, during which time he must undergo assessment, counselling and treatment for his addiction issues.
He will also be prohibited for 10 years from owning or possessing weapons or ammunition.
nmacphee@journalpioneer.com
