Guilty plea likely from West Kelowna Fentanyl warehouse owner
KELOWNA – The man accused of running a Fentanyl-lacing operation out of a West Kelowna warehouse may soon plead guilty.
In a brief appearance by video in Kelowna Supreme Court today, Leslie John McCulloch, 39, asked a judge to grant him bail, saying he was willing to plead guilty.
He’s been charged with production and possession of a controlled substance but it was unclear to which charges he would plead guilty to, if the plea is accepted.
The same day RCMP raided the warehouse last March, another warrant was executed at McCulloch’s home on the 700-block of Petterson Road. There police found approximately 800 fake OxyContin pills suspected to be laced with Fentanyl and several gold bars believed to be related to a theft.
The warehouse on the 2600-block of Auburn Cresent yielded 500 fake Percocet and OxyContin pills, 195 grams of suspected Fentanyl, two industrial pill presses capable of making 2,500 pills per hour and a chemical mixer.
That address was listed as Kandy and Krome Kustoms, which has been linked to McCulloch.
Also arrested was Rebekka Rae White, 28, who was originally charged with production and possession of a controlled substance.
It is unclear where in the process her case is currently, but on Monday, Jan. 23 McCulloch applied for bail and appeared ready to endorse a guilty plea.
A technical suitability report was ordered to determine if he is a candidate for electronic monitoring should bail be granted ahead of sentencing.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 30.
Last year the number of overdose deaths related to illicit drugs in British Columbia leapt to 755, a more than 70-per-cent jump over the number of fatalities recorded during the same time period the year before.
The B.C. Coroners Service says Fentanyl remains present in a high number of the fatalities and was detected in 374 of the cases, or about 60 per cent of the deaths.
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