Two men convicted as part of the high-profile J-Tornado drug case in Saint John have been sentenced to prison time.
34-year-old Shane Williams of Smithtown, who was described by Justice William Grant as being at the top of the heirarchy, received a sentence of nine years and 11 months in prison. He will be sentenced to an additional 15 months if he does not pay a fine within a six-month time frame.
Meantime, 40-year-old Joshua Kindred, received a lighter sentence by comparison of six years behind bars.
The two were found guilty on multiple charges, including trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to traffic, and possession for the purpose of trafficking, following a trial that lasted 65 days.
Kindred addressed the court before sentencing came down.
“I’m accountable for my own actions,” Kindred said, speaking from the prisoner’s box. “I made some poor choices.”
Williams, also in the prisoner’s box, declined to do so.
“No, sir,” he said.
There were 28 people arrested as part of Operation J-Tornado, which spanned three years and also resulted in the seizure of a massive haul of cocaine, marijuana, weapons, paraphernalia, and cash across the province.
