Kenneth Allen Busch, 50, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of drug trafficking while selling cocaine and fentanyl to an undercover police officer on July 19th, 2020. This is according to the BC Supreme Court Justice Steven Wilson’s sentencing decision published this week.
The court noted that Busch’s sentence is at the lower end of the range typically assigned for a conviction related to drug trafficking, owing largely to his guilty plea and acceptance of responsibility for his actions. The joint submission also saved the system the need for a trial.
Busch has a prior criminal record including convictions for possession for the purpose of trafficking in 1991 and a conviction for possession from 2013. Taking time served into account, he had 345 days left on his jail sentence upon conviction.
Judge Wilson noted that Busch had taken some responsibility for his actions and stated that such a sentence was appropriate given the circumstances of this case. However, he warned that “the seriousness of these offences cannot be minimized” and that it is important to remember “trafficking in controlled substances carries serious consequences under both federal Criminal Code legislation and provincial statutes such as British Columbia’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.”
Ultimately, this case serves as an example of why Canada takes drug trafficking so seriously and what consequences people face if they are found guilty. Busch will now have eighteen months behind bars followed by probation in order to attempt rehabilitation before being released back into society.
