B.C. prolific offender sentenced to prison for fentanyl, cocaine trafficking

Peter Anthony Alexander is pictured in an RCMP photo provided in 2023. (Handout)

A British Columbia man who was arrested while driving a U-Haul truck carrying more than a kilogram of illicit drugs, including fentanyl and cocaine, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison.

Peter Anthony Alexander, now 41 years old, was stopped by police in an alleyway behind a suspected drug house in Port Alberni, B.C., on Feb. 3, 2022.

Court records show he was rummaging through the truck to show police his rental agreement when an officer noticed a package containing a blue substance that was believed to be fentanyl. Alexander was taken into custody while police obtained a warrant to search the truck and his cellphone.

The subsequent search of the truck turned up 527 grams of fentanyl powder, 41 grams of cocaine, 198 grams of methamphetamine and 376 grams of a mixture of both fentanyl and the benzodiazepine flubromazepam, according to the court documents.

Investigators also discovered about half a litre of a liquid containing fentanyl and caffeine, but the exact concentration or purity of the illicit drug was not presented as part of the prosecution’s case at trial.

‘Widespread and severe harm’

Police photos and a video recovered from Alexander’s phone suggested the drugs were being processed in or near the rental truck, the court heard.

“The trafficking of extremely harmful drugs, such as the ones at issue here, is a blight upon the community,” B.C. Supreme Court Justice Liliane Bantourakis wrote in her sentencing decision, which was delivered on Sept. 16 and published online Monday.

“The widespread and severe harm that flows from these dangerous substances is canvassed extensively in the relevant jurisprudence and is reflected in the sentences imposed for trafficking, and that is particularly the case insofar as fentanyl is concerned.”

Prosecutors sought an eight-year sentence for Alexander, who was convicted of four charges; namely, one count each of possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl and flubromazepam.

The Crown emphasized to the court that fentanyl has had a particularly devastating effect on drug users in B.C., citing death statistics from the B.C. Coroners Service, which the judge characterized as illustrating “a picture of seemingly unmitigated misery and senseless loss.”

“In addition to the tragedies visited upon addicts themselves, the related harms are far‑reaching, deeply impacting families, increasing other forms of crime associated with the drug trade,” Bantourakis wrote in her decision. “The situation, as it currently stands, is both heart-rending and exceedingly dangerous.”

38 prior convictions

Alexander’s defence lawyer acknowledged that a prison term was warranted in the case, but emphasized that Alexander was engaging in drug trafficking to support his own drug addiction. The lawyer suggested a three-year sentence minus credit for time served in custody was warranted.

Alexander has an extensive criminal history consisting of 38 prior convictions, starting when he was 19 years old, and including violent offences such as robbery, assault causing bodily harm and five previous drug-trafficking charges, according to the court.

The most recent trafficking charge also involved fentanyl, with the bulk of his remaining priors arising from property offences such as theft and breaking and entering, as well as breaches of court orders.

“That said, Mr. Alexander has maintained his sobriety while incarcerated and appears to have been actively and meaningfully involved in treatment,” the judge wrote. “He has completed at least 100 hours of clinical group therapy and attends all programs regularly, including optional ones.”

Letter to arresting officers

An addictions counsellor submitted a letter to the court on Alexander’s behalf, suggesting the offender is motivated to gain more insight into his life and to lead a drug- and crime-free lifestyle.

Alexander’s mother also provided a character letter on his behalf, while a third letter, written by Alexander himself to the police officers who arrested him, thanked them for saving his life “as he believes he would likely have died from a drug overdose if he had not been arrested,” Bantourakis wrote.

The judge concluded that an appropriate sentence was five and a half years in prison, minus 627 days for time already served in custody since his arrest. She also ordered Alexander to provide a DNA sample to the national offenders’ data bank.

“The amount of dangerous controlled substances Mr. Alexander possessed for the purpose of trafficking is significant, as is the sentence he is now facing,” the judge wrote.

“Mr. Alexander, this will no doubt have been difficult news for you today. I hope that you will continue on the path to remaining clean and sober and employ the resources to help you in doing so both while incarcerated and upon your release.”