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Drug trafficker gets house arrest

Being caught with just under five pounds of marijuana at a Black Diamond checkstop netted an Edmonton man eight months of house arrest.

Being caught with just under five pounds of marijuana at a Black Diamond checkstop netted an Edmonton man eight months of house arrest.

Prezmyslaw Richard Tatarczak, 29, was given a one-year conditional sentence order (CSO) in Okotoks Provincial Court on Dec. 15 for possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

While a pre-sentence report gave Tatarczak a positive review, Judge E.J. Creighton said the nature of Tatarczak’s offence warranted a stiff sentence.

“There was quite a lot of marijuana that was seized,” he said.

As part of the CSO, Creighton sentenced Tatarczak to eight months house arrest, followed by a four-month period where he will have a curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. During the house arrest, he can only leave home for work, medical appointments or to shop for the necessities of life. Tatarczak also must complete 50 hours of community service by Nov. 25, 2011.

Crown prosecutor Nicole Dumaresque said Tatarczak has no criminal record and a pre-sentence report gave Tatarczak a positive review. As such, she was willing to support a CSO. In cases such as this, she said people would normally see jail time.

Tatarczak was arrested in July 2009 after pulled over at a checkstop in Black Diamond. Police immediately smelled marijuana in the car and asked Tatarczak if there were any drugs in the vehicle. He responded by saying there was two pounds of marijuana in the vehicle.

Police searched the car and found one marijuana cigarette and two containers in the trunk with 2,225 grams, just under five pounds, of the drug.

The drugs were valued between $16,500, if sold in large batches, and $33,000 if sold in smaller quantities.

Tatarczak pleaded guilty to the offence earlier this year.

Defense attorney Rob Wachowich said Tatarczak has stopped using marijuana and now has a job as a manager of a restaurant in Sherwood Park.

Tatarczak apologized for his actions saying he hopes to put the incident behind him.

“I’m glad to get this over with and move on with my life,” he said.

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