3 Vancouver-area men sentenced for drug, weapons crimes in Whitehorse
Members of 856 gang caught with guns, cash, cocaine and ecstasy
Three men linked to a British Columbia-based gang were sentenced for drug- and weapons-related offences in Yukon Territorial Court this week.
Bradley Prowal, 27, recieved three years for trafficking cocaine, Taylor Wallace, 24, got six months for careless storage of a firearm, and Jeffrey Redick, 35, was sentenced to three and a half years for cocaine trafficking, and firearm violations.
All three are from the Langley area outside Vancouver.
The men were arrested in March, 2015, after the RCMP carried out what was described as two "high risk" vehicle stops in Whitehorse, almost a year ago.
About a dozen people were charged as part of the RCMP's Operation Monarch. During that operation, police seized three rifles, four handguns, a bayonet, ecstasy, cocaine, cash and t-shirts bearing the number 856, the local telephone exchange for Langley.
The three men sentenced this week are connected to the 856 gang. RCMP went so far as to obtain warrants to look inside their mouths for 856 tattoos. Wallace was found to have all three numbers tattooed on his inner lip, while Prowal had two and Redick one.
According to media reports, gang members with all three numbers are high-ranking members.
In handing down his sentence, Judge Donald Luther said the men had only come to Yukon to deal drugs and harm communities.
He described their actions as "arrogant and opportunistic" and said he hopes their convictions will deter others.