Iqaluit man charged in coke bust released on bail

William Allen Pierce, 27, gets out of a police vehicle Aug. 10 while on his way to an appearance at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit. (PHOTO BY THOMAS ROHNER)

A Nunavut Justice of the Peace agreed Aug. 10 that William Allen Pierce, 27, an Iqaluit man recently charged with trafficking drugs should be released on bail until after the courts can finish dealing with the seven charges he faces.

At the suggestion of Crown and defence lawyers, Justice of the Peace Nicole Sikma agreed to order Pierce’s release on about 10 conditions, including a $15,000 pledge to keep the conditions.

Pierce, about 5’9″ tall and dressed in prison-issued sweatshirt and jogging pants, with glasses and a shaggy beard, appeared before Sikma Aug. 10 for the 15-minute hearing at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit.

After executing two search warrants in raids conducted Aug. 5, Iqaluit police arrested Pierce along with four others and seized a large quantity of cocaine, and smaller amounts of other illegal drugs.

The seizures included:

• 15 ounces, or nearly one pound, of cocaine;

• unspecified quantities of marijuana, hashish and ecstasy;

• about $9,000 in cash, believed to have been obtained through criminal activity; and,

• an unlicenced revolver.

Of the five arrested, only Pierce faces trafficking charges: three counts of possessing cocaine and ecstasy for the purpose of trafficking

Pierce also faces three counts of possessing cocaine and ecstasy and one count of possessing the proceeds of crime, valued at over $5,000.

Sikma placed additional conditions on Pierce’s release including:

• weekly check-ins with Iqaluit RCMP;

• a daily curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.; and,

• no contact with those arrested under the same search warrants, unless through lawyers for the purpose of preparing a defence for court.

Crown Prosecutor Benjamin Flight asked Sikma to schedule Pierce’s next court appearance for November.

“This is a serious and complex file, and it will take some time for the RCMP to provide full disclosure,” Flight said.

Sikma scheduled Pierce’s next court appearance for 9:30 a.m., Nov. 14 at the Nunavut Court of Justice.