Whitehorse drug trafficker Jesse Ritchie sentenced to 5 years

A Surrey, B.C., man who admitted operating a drug trafficking ring in Whitehorse has been given a five-year prison term.

Jesse Ritchie, 35, was sentenced in Yukon territorial court this morning after a joint submission from defence and crown prosecutors. He had pleaded guilty last November to possession of marijuana and cocaine or the purpose of trafficking.

Ritchie was one of four men arrested in November 2013 as part of a bust police called one of the most significant organized crime investigations in Yukon — "Operation Monolith."

More than half a million dollars in drugs and money was seized.

Court was told how Ritchie was once a high school sports star in the lower mainland with professional aspirations.

In 2005 he moved to Whitehorse and established a vitamin supplement retail operation, Fuel Flex.

Eight years later, an undercover RCMP operation exposed the illegal drug operation Ritchie controlled.

Guilty plea prevented long and expensive trial

In an agreed statement of facts, Ritchie admitted controlling one of Whitehorse's two primary drug trafficking rings.

Prosecutors referred to Ritchie as "a higher up" in the operation.

Evidence against him included a series of text messages between Ritchie and a dealer-turned-police-informant, revealing plans to ship large quantities of cocaine and marijuana and collect money.

Police also had photos of Ritchie retrieving $80,000 that had been buried in the bush off Grey Mountain Road.

Prosecutors now say his guilty plea saved them a long and expensive trial.

Letters from numerous friends and relatives say they support Ritchie's plans to turn his life around.

Ritchie stood in court this morning and confirmed that promise to the judge.