Cocaine trafficker late for court

A Red Deer area man, arrested after he was late for court on Monday, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to cocaine trafficking.

Vaughn Denver Krogman, 26, pleaded guilty in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench to possession of crack cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

He returns to court on Dec. 3 to set a sentencing date.

He remains in custody until sufficient monetary assurances can be fixed to release him, pending a pre-sentence report. Once the report is complete, a sentence hearing will be held.

Krogman was scheduled to appear in court on Monday morning for the start of a two-day trial but numerous police officers and court staff were left idling until the accused finally appeared two hours late.

He was promptly arrested and remanded in custody until Tuesday.

Krogman’s excuse was that he thought he didn’t need to show up because his lawyer Ashok Gill of Edmonton was going to plead guilty for him.

Justice Jim Foster didn’t buy the excuse.

Krogman has numerous convictions for disobeying court orders, failing to appear in court and obstructing police officers.

“I simply don’t accept this,” Foster told Krogman.

The judge said the accused was well acquainted with the court system and knew he should show up on time.

Federal Crown prosecutor Dave Inglis told court he wants federal jail time.

He said the Alberta Court of Appeal has a sentence starting point of three years in jail for a first-time hard drug trafficking conviction.

Sentences vary depending on criminal record, time spent in pre-trial custody and early guilty pleas.

Gill said he would seek a community-based sentence of less than two years in jail.

Inglis said Krogman was busted by city RCMP on May 28, 2008.

He was already on police notice when they observed a known drug addict buying dope from someone in a white vehicle on May 28.

Krogman was noticed again when he appeared in a police video surveillance of a suspected drug dealing house.

Early the next morning, a policeman who was buying coffee at a convenience store noticed the vehicle containing Krogman, whom he knew had an outstanding arrest warrant.

A vehicle search found 17 wrapped packets of crack cocaine hidden in a stash can, valued at $1,900.

Inglis said a stash can is a pop can that has had the top cut off and fashioned to screw down. Drug dealers hide dope and money in the can.

Gill said Krogman should be released until sentencing because he has settled down and is living at home.

However, Foster noted Krogman had a conviction just a few months ago for obstructing police.

jwilson@reddeeradvocate.com