A former Bracebridge man who pleaded guilty to trafficking fentanyl narrowly avoided jail time during a recent court appearance.
Appearing in court virtually, Jerry Henderson, 49, was given a suspended sentence, two years probation and 12 months under curfew stemming from a conviction of trafficking fentanyl last year.
Court previously heard that a local woman was concerned for her daughter’s welfare when she sent the Bracebridge OPP a series of texts laying out suspected drug activity. The texts were between her daughter and Henderson, and he discussed providing her with “purple” – a common street name for fentanyl.
Police executed a search warrant at Henderson’s residence and found scales and paraphernalia but no drugs. They also searched his phone and the messages were confirmed, as well as other messages related to drug trafficking.
At the time, Federal Crown Kim Miles said the joint position was “very, very specific to this situation.” She said if they knew the amount of fentanyl, or saw the transaction actually take place, they likely wouldn’t be discussing such a lenient sentence.
Sentencing had been postponed until earlier this month to allow for the creation of a pre-sentence report.
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