Pubdate: Sat, 16 Jan 2016
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Colin Perkel
Page: A8

ONTARIO MAN GETS LIFE SENTENCE IN U.S. FOR SMUGGLING MARIJUANA

Defendant's Lawyer Argues Punishment Was Excessive Given Efforts to 
Legalize Pot

A Canadian man has been handed a mandatory life sentence for his role 
in a multi-million-dollar drug-trafficking operation that smuggled 
thousands of kilograms of marijuana into the United States, authorities said.

Michael (Mickey) Woods, 45, of Cornwall, Ont., who had been convicted 
following a six-day jury trial last summer, was sentenced in federal 
court in Syracuse, N.Y. despite objections that the punishment was 
cruel and unusual. The court also ordered a $45-million (U.S.) 
judgment against him. Woods and co-accused Gaetan (Gates) Dinelle, 
42, also of Cornwall, were found guilty of membership in three 
separate but related conspiracies, each involving a tonne or more of 
marijuana destined for the United States.

Evidence at trial showed that Woods, aided by Dinelle, ran a vast 
marijuana operation out of Cornwall from at least 2005 until 2008. In 
all, police accused the organization of distributing about 10 tonnes 
of high-grade marijuana valued at $47.3 million (U.S.) at the wholesale level.

Given the size of the operation, the conviction against Woods 
resulted in the automatic life sentence, punishment his lawyer 
decried as grossly excessive.

In pre-sentence filings, lawyer Albert Millus argued there was little 
direct evidence against his client, and that authorities overstated 
the case against him.

One of the key prosecution witnesses, who admitted to buying $20 
million (U.S.) of marijuana and selling it in the Boston area, was 
sentenced to 21 months of house arrest while another witness was 
jailed for 15 months, Millus said. The lawyer also noted there were 
no allegations of weapons or violence.

"The conspiracy involved only marijuana, not more devastating drugs 
such as heroin, crack cocaine or powder cocaine," Millus said in his brief.

In addition, Millus noted that the U.S. was "in the midst of a 
national movement involving the legalization of marijuana."

Dinelle, who was to be sentenced at the same time as Woods, is now 
scheduled to learn his fate next week. The father of a young girl has 
continued to deny any involvement in the drug operation and his 
lawyer has also asked the court for less than the mandatory life 
sentence requested by the prosecution.

Both men have indicated they will be looking to appeal.

According to the nine-count indictment filed in the case, Woods, who 
also went by the names Big Boss Man and Big Buddy, and his associates 
ran an intricate enterprise that involved managing and recruiting 
couriers, and buying or renting vehicles. He was convicted on four counts.

At trial, witnesses that included former members of the enterprise 
testified that he procured large quantities of marijuana from sources 
in Canada and, with Dinelle, arranged for the drug to be smuggled 
into the U.S. According to the indictment, the operation used boats, 
personal watercraft or snowmobiles pulling sleds to ferry the pot 
across the St. Lawrence River.

Authorities said the drugs were temporarily stored at various 
locations in northern New York state on the Akwasasne Mohawk reserve 
that straddles the border.

Couriers selected and supervised by Woods and Dinelle would drive the 
marijuana to buyers throughout the eastern United States, the 
prosecution said. The operation unravelled when police stopped some 
of the couriers and found them with large amounts of marijuana or cash.

According to officials, investigators seized about 400 kilograms of 
pot from the couriers and confiscated about $2 million in U.S. 
currency that they said were the proceeds from the illegal drug operation.

Woods and Dinelle were among 15 people extradited from Canada. The 
United States Attorney's Office called it the largest use of the 
extradition treaty between the two countries in a single case.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom