Vernon men arrested in Saskatoon drug bust

VERNON – Two Vernon men got themselves into a heap of trouble when they left a Saskatoon hotel room with 13 pounds of marijuana.

Jason Fedirchuk, 30, and James Rinsma, 45, appeared in Saskatoon Provincial Court Monday and were released on bail while the Kelowna residents they appear to have gotten the pot from weren't charged at all. 

On October 24, the RCMP roving traffic unit informed Saskatoon police of a traffic stop that had been conducted on Highway 7 near Vanscoy. Two Kelowna, B.C. residents were inside the vehicle. Police located almost 13 pounds of marijuana divided into 26 packages inside the car.

But one of them had a license to be in possession of medical marijuana and they were permitted to continue on to Saskatoon.

Officers later witnessed the same two Kelowna residents meet with two men at a hotel in the 700 block of Idylwyld Drive North. The Kelowna residents then left the city.

Officers arrested the two Vernon men as they departed the hotel in possession of 13 pounds of marijuana, tucked into 26 packages.

Both men are facing charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking. Fedirchuk is scheduled to return to court Nov. 5 and Rinsma Nov. 26. 

A police investigation into the incident is ongoing.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca, call (250)309-5230 or tweet @charhelston.

This story was updated at 2:41 p.m. to include the names and next court appearances for the two Vernon men.