A Swift Current man arrested during a search warrant last year for trafficking drugs has pled guilty.

Derek Ruest was handed a 900-day jail sentence to be served in federal prison on April 17 as part of a joint submission between the Crown and defence that was accepted by Judge M. Tomka. He was given a lifetime firearm ban and ordered to provide DNA.

Ruest pled guilty to one count of possessing fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking, while the other four charges he was facing were stayed.

The 36-year-old was arrested on Nov. 29, 2023, after the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team, Swift Current City and Rural RCMP, and K9 Unit found several illegal drugs during a search of a Swift Current residence. 

Officers discovered 42 grams worth of tablets containing fentanyl and cocaine, 4.6 grams of suspected fentanyl powder, and 2.3 grams of suspected methamphetamine. Drug trafficking paraphernalia and cash were also recovered.

Ruest had served 169 days, as of April 17, and had 731 days left on his sentence. 

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