Arden McCann, this resident of Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville who exported large quantities of fentanyl and counterfeit Xanax to the United States via the illegal Internet, has just been sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment by a judge in the state of Georgia.
Posted at 2:12 p.m.
Updated at 5:13 p.m.
This heavy sentence imposed on McCann comes at a time when American President Donald Trump is pointing the finger at Canada as being one of those responsible for the presence of fentanyl in his country which is creating havoc and this condemnation has provoked reactions from both sides of the debate. the border.
“This country is in the midst of a catastrophic overdose epidemic where the threat posed by synthetic opioids disguised as fake prescription drugs is extremely high. The FBI will do whatever is necessary to hold criminals who sell counterfeit drugs accountable,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta.
“The issue of fentanyl and illicit opioids remains a major concern for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and we remain committed to working with our international law enforcement partners to actively pursue the criminal networks that fuel this public health epidemic,” declared Superintendent Marie-Ève Lavallée, head of criminal operations at the Organized Crime Program of the Canadian federal police in the Eastern region (Quebec and Maritimes) who took part to the investigation initiated by the United States.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The Superintendent of the RCMP in Quebec, Marie-Ève Lavallée
Thousands of transactions
According to US court documents, McCann, through just two underground internet platforms, shipped 8,3450 orders of substances worth more than US$10 million, between 2015 and 2020.
He sent his substances to 49 of the 50 American states and they caused at least one fatal overdose.
Arden McCann allegedly boasted to an accomplice that his business brought him a million dollars monthly.
According to the evidence, McCann purchased the drugs and precursor products from China, South Korea or elsewhere, and had them delivered to American clients who became relayers.
-These processed the drug and mailed it to American consumers. All transactions were made in cryptocurrency.
Torchbearers turned collaborating witnesses helped police nail McCann.
The fact that he continued his business despite a police search of his home in 2015, that 15 firearms were found in his residence during this search, and that synthetic cannabis was discovered in his cell in his American prison last year likely didn’t help McCann’s cause.
A million dollar fine
In making his decision, Judge Jean-Paul Boulee recommended to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons that McCann, 37, be held in a center that offers a drug treatment program.
He also imposed a 10-year probation term and fined McCann $1 million.
The judge also said he understood that the Bureau of Prisons will grant credit of two years, three months and twelve days for the period of preventive detention spent in Quebec, between February 26, 2020, the day of his arrest by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. , and June 9, 2022, the day of his extradition to the United States.
McCann could, however, request that his sentence be served in Canada.
According to the criminalist and prison law expert, Me Jacques Normandeau, McCann will be able to do so six months after his conviction. Usually, the United States responds to such a request within three to six months, but even if it accepts, it could be a long time before the convicted person is transferred to a penitentiary in Quebec.
“The problem is in Canada. The authorities take a very long time to respond when they do. A response can take two or three years and Quebecers detained in the United States abandon their efforts because their time is running out. But with the sentence he received, it is worth it for him to make the request,” says Mr.e Normandeau who averages three or four international transfer files per year.
To contact Daniel Renaud, call 514 285-7000, ext. 4918, write to [email protected] or write to the postal address of The Press.
