Ex-military exporter of pot in dungeon

The man was sentenced to 11 years in New York State

In six years, the network led by Colin Stewart, 41, has exported several thousand pounds in New York State.

A former Quebec soldier who orchestrated the export of several tons of marijuana in New York State has just been sentenced to 135 months of penitentiary.

Nicknamed " Cowboy " by his accomplices, Colin Stewart was given this heavy sentence last Monday in Albany, because of his role as "leader" of a network that has made "millions of dollars" with the pot for six years , according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

After leaving the Canadian Armed Forces, the resident of Elgin - a municipality of 400 inhabitants in Montérégie, whose mayor is Stewart's mother - found himself at the head of the Quebec branch of this criminal organization that flooded the Northeastern United States of cannabis made in Canada, between 2005 and 2011.

Breach at the border

"The accused grew up working on a dairy farm and then served his country brilliantly for six years in the military. Then, he chose as a way of life to get rich in the smuggling of narcotics, "lamented federal prosecutor Grant Jaquith in court documents consulted by Le Journal .

The drug that Stewart traded still passed through the Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve, a vast territory straddling the two countries and prized by many DEA-investigated Canada-US smuggling rings.

Dozens of drug shipments crossed the border on snowmobiles or by boat.

Hockey bags

PHOTO COURTESY DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION

These hockey bags seized by US DEA agents during their investigation each contained about twenty kilograms of marijuana.

The pot was piled in hockey bags at a rate of about 50 pounds per bag and at an average cost of $ 3,000 per pound.

"Stewart organized the shipment of 200 to 500 pounds of marijuana per trip," recounted M ^e Jaquith the court, adding that marijuana was then transported by land in other states of the East Coast.

Mathieu Forget Detained

This pay-as-you-go combination fell on the water when network truckers worked with the DEA after being intercepted with potloads.

Stewart's right-hand man, Mathieu Forget, admitted to having participated in "at least" 50 deliveries and transported more than two tons of pot on American soil.

Forget, who lived in Saint-Anicet, also in Montérégie, was sentenced to 10 years incarceration last spring, one year and three months less than his boss.

Regrets and consequences

Extradited to US justice earlier this year, Stewart, 41, pleaded guilty and said he was repentant.

"He has made bad choices that he will regret for the rest of his life and he is ready to suffer the consequences," said his lawyer, Lee Koch, adding that the worst would probably be to be separated from his family and deprived of seeing his young son grow up.

In addition to sanctioning the sentence negotiated by the prosecution and the defense, Judge Glenn Suddaby fined Colin Stewart $ 10,000.

THE PRICE TO PAY "

When he has finished serving his sentence, Colin Stewart wants to encourage young people not to follow in his footsteps in the world of drugs, according to a court document prepared for the attention of the judge through his lawyer, Lee Koch, whose The Journal got copy. Here are some excerpts:

"Colin Stewart is a brilliant young man who has led a disciplined life and honored his country, Canada, our greatest ally. It was during his military service that he developed his leadership skills. "

"Mr. Stewart's life capsized after the death of his first child and the breakup with his former spouse. He then made bad decisions. "

"Mr. Stewart retired from the criminal community, started a masonry business and made a new wife with whom he had a son. He is determined to ensure that his child does not make the same mistakes as him. "

"When he is free again, he plans to give lectures in schools in his region to educate young people about the negative consequences of being involved in drug trafficking. "

"Mr. Stewart admitted his crime and he takes full responsibility. He believes a 135-month sentence is appropriate. He knows he has to pay the price for what he did. His intention is never to break the law again. "

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