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October 06, 2015 - 5:30 PM
VERNON - A Vernon man currently serving time for running a massive drug trafficking operation has been denied a request to be moved into minimum security.
Brock Palfrey was sentenced to almost 17 years in prison for trafficking cocaine and ecstasy. He and two co-conspirators, also from the Vernon area, were arrested with $200 million of cocaine and ecstasy smuggled into Canada somewhere along the U.S.-Saskatchewan border. It was the largest drug bust in Saskatchewan’s history.
Palfrey has been serving his sentence in medium security at a federal prison just outside Mission, B.C. In March 2015, he applied to be transferred to a minimum security institution.
The warden of the Mission Institution denied his request on the grounds of source information stating Palfrey was responsible for nicotine patches entering the prison. Additional source information, believed to be reliable, suggested Palfrey was planning to get ‘downers and steroids' through a visitation or a 'throw-over.'
Prison officials told Palfrey the source information was holding him back from moving towards minimum security, and encouraged him to maintain positive behaviour without any further involvement in subculture activities. Palfrey denied all involvement and knowledge of the activities.
“In the eyes of the board, it is not reasonable to believe that the applicant, a sophisticated drug trafficker, is completely unaware of subculture activities, and cannot figure out how to remain out of the radar of the Security Intelligence Department,” the warden said in her report.
The warden noted that after the Security Intelligence Officer and Palfrey’s parole officer met with him in December 2014 to tell him the absence of further information was needed to support his transfer to minimum security, the information stopped.
“Thus, it is reasonable to believe that the applicant had a hand in making it stop, and perhaps that he was involved in some nefarious activities,” the warden said.
Palfrey appealed the warden’s decision, but a Supreme Court Justice ruled against him and dismissed the appeal.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015