Crown seeks 8 years for fentanyl trafficker caught outside city
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The Crown is seeking an eight-year sentence for a Steinbach man who pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking in Brandon’s Court of King’s Bench on Tuesday.
Travis Choboter, 29, and co-accused Julie-Ann Sorokowski, also from Steinbach, were arrested during a traffic stop outside Brandon on Jan. 25, 2024, according to the statement of facts.
Federal Crown attorney Serena Ehrmantraut, who spoke in court via teleconference, said police were observing eastbound traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway when officers pulled them over about five kilometres west of the city.
Police previously said the traffic stop was conducted due to debris that appeared to be blocking the view out of the front windshield.
Ehrmantraut said Choboter and Sorokowski, who was in the passenger seat of the white Chevrolet Cruz, gave police a “nonsensical” story.
Sorokowski, 25, had also made “some spontaneous utterances.”
“Based on all of these factors together, police formed grounds to believe they were in possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, and both were arrested for that,” Ehrmantraut said.
Police searched the vehicle and found a black and yellow suitcase in the trunk that had a large quantity of fentanyl inside.
The fentanyl had a total weight of approximately nine kilograms, she said.
Police said the street value of the drugs was estimated at $1.1 million.
Choboter and Sorokowski were taken to the Brandon Police Service station. They were both charged with possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking.
Choboter faces an additional charge of possessing property obtained by crime.
Ehrmantraut said the accused was being directed by a leader of the drug trafficking network and has no prior convictions.
“Mr. Choboter is accepting that he was wilfully blind for this situation. He knew he was involved in drug trafficking but didn’t know the precise nature and the extent of what it was that he was moving,” she said.
“There is evidence on the cellphone that’s related to some of these activities.”
Judge Elliot Leven asked Choboter in court if he believed the Crown provided a “fair” summary of what happened, and he agreed.
Leven ordered a pre-sentence report and a Gladue report, which is requested to provide personal background and systemic factors of an Indigenous offender during sentencing.
Defence lawyer Myles Davis did not make any sentencing recommendations in court.
He told the Sun in an email that the defence will be relying on the pre-sentence report and additional materials to make his recommendation at the sentencing hearing.
Choboter will be sentenced at a later date. He and Sorokowski remain in Steinbach on bail conditions.
» tadamski@brandonsun.com