Wednesday, 16 April 2008

Robert Carlson, once a petty officer aboard HMCS Saskatoon


Robert Carlson, once a petty officer aboard HMCS Saskatoon who has since been released from the military, had also been charged with one count of trafficking cocaine, but that charge was dropped.Carlson admitted today that he used cocaine on his off-days, and also knew that two of his subordinates were also doing so. His sentence will be decided later today.Carlson is one of four crew members from the Saskatoon charged after a military undercover sting targeted the warship in early 2006. He was the most senior, and the last, to face court martial. All four have been released from the military.His court martial was delayed last October after his lawyer withdrew from the case citing a conflict of interest - a colleague of the lawyer had represented Jason Ennis, another member of the Saskatoon crew earlier in2007. In addition to Carlson and Ennis, who was found guilty of drug use and fined $2,000 in August, two other crew members were charged. Sonya Robert, a 27-year-old ship's cook, was fined $500 and handed a 30-day suspended sentence in April after she sold half a gram of cocaine to an undercover military officer at a private residence in Victoria in January 2006.Brenda Murley, a 28-year-old deckhand, pleaded guilty to trafficking charges in February. She was fined $500 and given a 15-day suspended sentence.Military officials have said that drugs were not being used on board the ship or imported across borders

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