In British Columbia, Crown counsel Maggie Loda said that a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club should get 12 years in prison for smuggling meth and coke into the country in October 2020.
British Columbia Prosecutor Seeking 12-Years Imprisonment for Hells Angel Member Arrested for Smuggling Over $2M in Meth and Coke in 2020
On October 23, 2020, Jason Arkinstall (48) was arrested with about 262 pounds of cocaine (119 kg) and just under 200 pounds of meth (90 kg). He and an accomplice were smuggling the drugs into B.C from Idaho when they were stopped with the five duffel bags.
In September 2021, Arkinstall plead guilty to smuggling. Loda made sure to highlight the amount and street value—over $2 million—as reasons for pursuing a 12-year sentence:
“The value of the drugs is incredibly high, higher than identified in any of the cases before you. And the motive in the circumstances must be for profit.”
Plus, this was meth and coke. That’s two of the five drugs Border agents tend to seize regularly along with fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana. In addition, she pointed out a criminal history that included drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Jason Arkinstall’s lawyer Ken Westlake is pushing for a seven-year sentence as he plead guilty to the charges. Westlake also highlighted the trafficker’s letters of support from those who knew him personally:
“He’s quite an emotional person with respect to this…to the point that I don’t think he needs deterrence, personally, anymore.”
The duality defense is one you see fairly often where it’s argued that “Sure, they did a bad thing but they’re not just all bad.”
When the judge allowed Arkinstall to say some words, he expressed remorse for not being with his family because of his actions and the trouble it caused them. Judge Jetté agreed with the biker but added that the drugs he was caught with would’ve caused trouble to the community at large.
Arkinstall acknowledge this and said “I accept my responsibility on that factor as well, your honor.”
What do you see Arkinstall getting? Will he receive the 12 years that the Crown is pursuing or did he come off as sincere enough for seven years? Could there be a compromise from the judge—not the full 12 but more than seven?
Let us know down below!
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