Man accused of cocaine trafficking released on bail

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This article was published 24/11/2023 (1033 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man facing numerous cocaine trafficking charges was granted bail in court on Thursday following a drug bust by Brandon Police Service that took thousands of dollars of cocaine off the street.

Edgar Ndayishimiye, 31, is facing drug trafficking charges and a slew of firearms charges after his arrest in his Sycamore Drive apartment on Wednesday afternoon. Ndayishimiye made a successful bid for bail despite opposition to his release by the Crown.

Federal Crown attorney Anna Siemens read the evidence for the charges in court. The charges against Ndayishimiye have not been proven in court and he remains innocent until proven guilty.

This month, BPS’s major crimes unit began an investigation into a suspected mid-level cocaine trafficker who was believed to be trafficking out of his home in an apartment on the 1600 block of Sycamore Drive.

The suspicions were based on information from a confidential informant and during the police investigation, several hand-to-hand suspected drug transactions were observed.

Around 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, police raided the building and arrested a suspect in the stairwell of the apartment block.

During a search of the suspect’s suite, police found a nine-millimetre handgun in a sock underneath the stove. Also under the stove they found ammunition and a prohibited magazine.

Officers found cocaine in different areas of the apartment, totalling between 16 and 17 ounces. The Crown attorney said the amount of cocaine had a street value of between $30,000 to $45,000.

On the couch in the living room, there were two bundles of cash (totalling between $5,000 and $6,000), score sheets and packaging materials. A bag of mushrooms was also found on the couch, along with four cellphones.

Siemens opposed Ndayishimiye’s release on the grounds that he was likely to reoffend. She said the evidence seized indicated a mid-level trafficking operation. After those accused of drug trafficking get released, she said, there is incentive for them to return to trafficking to recoup their losses.

“What was seized shows how much he has access to,” the Crown attorney said, adding that no amount of cash bail would alleviate the Crown’s concern.

Ndayishimiye’s defence lawyer, Anthony Dawson, told the court that his client is from Toronto and had been in Brandon to pursue aviation lessons. Dawson presented a bail plan that would have Ndayishimiye living back at his Sycamore Drive apartment in Brandon, or back home in Toronto with his girlfriend.

Dawson said his client could offer between $1,500 and $5,000 for cash bail and would abide by a curfew.

Judge John Combs emphasized the fact that Ndayishimiye had no criminal record and therefore has not shown a pattern of re-offending or not complying with court orders.

“People are eligible for release if they can present a reasonable [bail] plan, taking into account the nature of the offence,” the judge said.

Though he acknowledged that there is incentive to flee and reoffend, the judge said that he wasn’t going to assume those things will happen and granted Ndayishimiye bail.

Combs wanted to keep the 31-year-old in Brandon and granted his release back to the Sycamore Drive apartment along with an $8,000 cash bail, a curfew, and a condition that police can search his phone, home, and vehicle up to three times per month.

Ndayishimiye’s matter will next appear in federal court on Dec. 14.

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