She was a former straight-A student and role model for other youth, and now she’s in jail for drug dealing.
Keilah Hanson-Ford, 20, received a four-month jail sentence on Monday in provincial after pleading guilty to trafficking cocaine.
She also pleaded guilty to obstruction, careless storage of a firearm and two counts of breaching a court order.
Judge Douglas Cowling was told Hanson-Ford is engaged to Robert Hodder. The two were living in a common-law relationship when RCMP busted their home twice.
After the second bust, Hodder was held in custody while Hanson-Ford was freed on strict bail conditions.
However, when she failed to report to her bail supervisor on Nov. 26, a warrant was issued for her arrest.
On Dec. 11, Mounties received a tip about a dial-a-dope operation and arranged to buy cocaine from Hanson-Ford. A fake WD40 can was found in her vehicle.
It had a hidden compartment containing two “spitballs” of cocaine amounting to 1.2 grams.
She was also found with $805 in cash and a cell phone which violated terms of her bail.
At the RCMP detachment Hanson-Ford was about to be searched by a female officer when she popped a pink balloon into her mouth. Officers were unable to retrieve it, so they waited until it had passed and then discovered about $40 worth of cocaine.
Federal Crown prosecutor Paul Corbett noted the ordeal, “created significant difficulties for RCMP.”
Hanson-Ford has been in custody since then. On Monday, she pleaded guilty to five charges.
According to defence lawyer Mike Munro, Hanson-Ford was a straight-A high school student who embraced her First Nations heritage through traditional language and dance, and was a role model for other youth.
But then she developed a “serious drug relationship” with Hodder. The arrest and jail time has been “quite the fall,” said Munro, but she’s accepted responsibility and has been attending meetings for substance and alcohol abuse.
In addition to the four months jail, Hanson-Ford will be on probation for 18 months during which time she is to have no contact with Hodder.
and cannot possess any cell phones.
The judge did point out that she can apply to the court to have contact with Hodder again, and use a cell phone, provided she’s showing progress.
Hanson-Ford also forfeited the cash and cell phone seized during her arrest, and must provide a DNA sample to the national registry.