Man convicted in drug trafficking trial

A man convicted Thursday of charges related to his involvement with a Brandon-based drug ring faces the possibility of a dozen years in prison.

Jorg Rautenberg was scheduled to stand trial for two weeks on charges of conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, along with conspiracy to possess proceeds of crime, intentional discharge of a firearm reckless to the safety of a human life, assault and assault with a weapon.

Rautenberg was accused of taking part in a drug trafficking organization that was dismantled in April 2021 as a result of Project Debris — a joint seven-month long investigation by the Manitoba RCMP, Brandon Police Service and Rivers Police Service.

Police executed seven search warrants, which resulted in a seizure of $17,000 in cash as well as methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and 14 firearms, according to a Manitoba RCMP social media post. Mounties said several stolen motorcycles were also seized.

On Tuesday, the Crown called its first witness, Cpl. Tyler Johnson, who was the primary investigator and file co-ordinator in Project Debris while working in the RCMP’s Manitoba Organized Crime Unit (MOCU).

His direct examination spanned the entirety of Tuesday and Wednesday and was scheduled to continue Thursday.

During his examination, the Crown asked him questions about the evidence gathered throughout the investigation, which included physical surveillance, intercepted phone calls and text messages, and video footage of the outside and inside of a residence associated with Rautenberg.

The footage showed people handling what appeared to be firearms, large stacks of money and illicit substances.

On the fourth day of trial, the lawyers put together an agreed statement of facts, which they presented to Justice Scott Abel on Thursday afternoon.

Crown attorney Hugh Crawley said the facts included agreements that Rautenberg was engaged in conspiring to traffic illicit substances.

“Specifically, methamphetamine, cocaine, as well as ‘down’ … but it’s agreed that, that in fact contained fentanyl,” Crawley said.

He said it’s also agreed that Rautenberg was conspiring to traffic the methamphetamine and cocaine from the street to the multi-ounce level and that he was conspiring to traffic fentanyl at the street level.

“There is an explicit agreement in there that within that conspiracy was, in fact, also directly trafficking those substances,” Crawley said.

“Mr. Rautenberg has agreed that he had … proceeds of crime in excess of $5,000, in whole or in part from the trafficking of drugs,” he said. “Fundamentally, the admissions are there.”

Crown attorney Grant Hughes, who is also working on the case, said the statement of facts included evidence that Mr. Rautenberg did intentionally fire a shotgun and was reckless to the life and safety of another individual.

“There’s admissions and the evidence, including video evidence, of two assaults on (the woman), one on the 27th of February, one on the 10th of March.”

After presenting the agreed statement of facts, the Crown closed its case. Rautenberg and his former defence lawyer, who is still assisting him, said they would not be presenting any further evidence.

After a brief recess and ensuring that Rautenberg understood what he was agreeing to, Abel convicted Rautenberg of all five charges.

Rautenberg’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning. Crawley said he anticipates that the Crown will ask for a sentence of 12 years and that Rautenberg will not be opposing it or arguing for a different sentence.

“If there had been a different number, the Crown’s number in turn would have been different,” Crawley said.

» sanderson@brandonsun.com