Woman accused of drug trafficking maintains innocence despite wiretap recordings

The Crown opened its drug trafficking case Tuesday against a Yellowknife woman who insists she's not the woman trying to buy drugs in a series of conversations secretly recorded by police.

Serenus Bryan, 51, is accused of trafficking in cocaine and fentanyl. She was arrested on Sept. 13, 2016.

The prosecutor played 22 of the conversations that were recorded during the RCMP's Green Manilishi drug investigation two years ago.  

The investigation was intended to disrupt the hard drug trade in Yellowknife.

One of the targets was Todd Dube. Last year, he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

In many of the recordings, a woman is heard arguing with Dube about getting more drugs, despite being unable to pay for drugs he had already given her.

On Tuesday, the jury of eight women and four men also saw a videotaped interview Bryan had with police the day after she was arrested.

During the interview, an RCMP officer plays the recorded conversations and repeatedly attempts to get Bryan to admit that it's her speaking and arranging to buy drugs to sell.

Bryan repeatedly said she did not want to answer any questions.

"If you want to put your head in the sand and not realize the trouble you're in, that's fine, that's your choice," the police officer said in the interview.

When the officer says Bryan has already admitted it's her speaking in the recordings, she points out that she only admitted to being the speaker in the first one.

"You can ask me questions. I don't have to answer them," Bryan said.

The trial continues Wednesday.