Pubdate: Thu, 08 Mar 2012
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2012 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Peter Small, Courts Bureau 

TORONTO DRUG SQUAD TRIAL: COCAINE SEIZURE UNDER-REPORTED, EVIDENCE
SUGGESTS

A former drug squad member on trial for corruption once told another
detective his crew seized a pound of cocaine from a dealer's house,
more than six times what they reported in police documents, a trial
has heard.

Det.-Sgt. Ray Fortin testified Thursday that in November 1999 he
happened to run into Const. Raymond Pollard who told him about Andy
Ioakim, a drug dealer his squad had arrested in 1997. .

Fortin said Pollard told him that he and other Central Field Command
drug squad officers seized a pound (16 ounces) of cocaine, which is
worth about $20,000 wholesale, from his Richmond Hill home.

But court has heard that in paperwork Pollard's unit submitted for
that bust, they only reported seizing 2.5 ounces from the house.

At this trial, Ioakim testified Pollard's unit stole cocaine,
marijuana and more than $100,000 from the home and forced him to set
up a five-kilogram cocaine deal so they could bust it and pocket the
proceeds.

Fortin, who was a member of a different drug squad -- the North West
Field Command -- used Pollard's information about seizing a pound from
Ioakim to bolster his application for a search warrant for the
dealer's home in 2000.

But Earl Levy, Pollard's lawyer, pointed out that in Fortin's memo
book he did not mention Pollard told him his squad seized a pound of
cocaine from Ioakim's home.

Levy suggested Fortin needed to put that supposed pound of cocaine
into his search warrant application to ensure a judge would approve
it.

"You didn't have any evidence that there were drugs in Ioakim's
residence until you say you spoke to Pollard," Levy said.

Fortin said he had plenty of other grounds in his search warrant
affidavit, without mentioning the earlier seizure of a pound of
cocaine. "I didn't have to put it in there."

Pollard, 47; Joseph Miched, 53; John Schertzer, 54; Steven Correia,
45; and Ned Maodus, 48 -- former Central Field Command Toronto drug
squad officers -- face various charges, including attempting to
obstruct justice, perjury, assault and extortion.

The Ontario Superior Court trial continues March 21.
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