Five months trafficking drugs nets three years in prison

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This article was published 12/04/2023 (921 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Convicted drug courier Jeremiah Alcera may not have commanded the level of trust prosecutors alleged his drug overlords had in the criminal “novice,” but it was only a matter of time before he would have risen in the ranks, a judge said.

Alcera, 25, was one of 11 people arrested in February 2022 following a joint Winnipeg Police Service and Surrey RCMP investigation that targeted an interprovincial cocaine trafficking network called “The Company.” It had netted $11.5 million in seized drugs, cash and property.

Alcera, who had no criminal record and had been an active member of the drug network for just five months at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine. He was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison.

“Mr. Alcera’s criminal career was cut short by his arrest, for which he should be grateful,” said King’s Bench Justice Theodor Bock. “Had it continued, I expect he would have been promoted to a mid-level position quickly, which in turn would be reflected in a heavier sentence. As it is, I find he occupied an essentially entry-level position in this illegal enterprise.”

Sentencing arguments last month focused on just how involved Alcera was with the drug network. Prosecutors argued the evidence showed Alcera held the status of a mid-level trafficker, which should merit a prison sentence of 5 ½ years. Defence lawyers urged Bock to find that Alcera was a mere courier and sentence him to two years of house arrest.

The evidence against Alcera included 14,000 intercepted text messages and phone calls between him and his cousin and immediate criminal superior Joshua David Espiritu, as well as physical and electronic surveillance and covert search warrants.

Alcera started working for the drug cell, which was run by his cousin, within the network in late September 2020.

Intercepted messages between the two captured them discussing drug deals in coded language, discussion about an encrypted communication device provided to Alcera, debate about bringing in new people to the drug network and a request that Alcera assist in the counting and bundling of large amounts of cash.

Police executed a search warrant at Alcera’s home Feb. 10, 2021, and seized drug score sheets and plastic bags contaminated with cocaine.

A pre-sentence report prepared for court says Alcera graduated from Grant Park Collegiate in 2015 and in the years that followed completed one year of university and one year at Red River College without success before entering the drug trade.

“His stated motive was greed,” Bock said. “He wanted more money than he had and apparently thought this was a better way to get it than working for it legally,” Bock said.

The judge said he was not persuaded Alcera’s involvement in the drug network qualified him as a mid-level trafficker. While the evidence suggested Espiritu had “a high level of trust and confidence” in Alcera, the evidence also showed Alcera was in a subordinate position to his cousin.

Alcera “took direction from Mr. Espiritu, there is no evidence Mr. Espiritu ever took direction from Mr. Alcera,” Bock said.

Alcera had a supportive upbringing and “readily available options” to pursue an honest living, Bock said.

“It should be to his enduring shame that simple greed led him to choose the criminal path,” he said.

Espiritu had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and was sentenced last December to six years in prison.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca