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Woman guilty of trafficking cocaine, not fentanyl, jury finds

A jury has found a 51-year-old Yellowknife woman guilty of trafficking cocaine - but not fentanyl.
Serenus Bryan faced charges of trafficking cocaine and fentanyl during a three-day long trial in NWT Supreme court this week.

Bryan was one of nine people arrested in September 2016 as part of Project Green Manalishi – an RCMP G Division-led investigation into high-level drug trafficking in Yellowknife and the territory.

Police and prosecutors never tied any physical drugs to Bryan.

Instead, the Crown’s case against Bryan was based on a statement she gave to police a day after her arrest, the opinion of a drug trafficking expert, and 25 intercepted communications – three text messages and 22 phone calls.

In many of wiretapped calls played to jurors, convicted drug kingpin Todd Dube was heard speaking to a "female voice."

Both the Crown and defence said the "female voice" belonged to Bryan, but disagreed on her level of involvement in Yellowknife's drug world.

Crown prosecutor Duane Praught described Bryan as an "independent contractor," who was fronted cocaine and fentanyl from Dube.

"She was trafficking at least some. Was she using? Probably. Was she selling? Yes,” Praught told jurors during closing submissions Thursday.

But Bryan’s lawyer argued his client was an addict and liar who “would say anything to get more drugs.” He contended she was buying the drugs her own consumption, not to traffic.

After deliberating from 2:45 p.m. to 10:20 p.m. Thursday, jurors resumed deliberations this morning just before 10 a.m.

An hour later, they returned with a verdict: finding Bryan guilty of trafficking cocaine, but not fentanyl.

Bryan is set to be sentenced for the lone trafficking conviction on Dec. 18.