Stratford man sentenced to 7.5 years after huge Charlottetown fentanyl seizure

Devon Goodsell · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 1:28 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

A Stratford antheral volition walk conscionable implicit six years successful national situation for possession of fentanyl for the intent of selling it, after a seizure that Charlottetown constabulary called 1 of the province's largest to date. 

Tye James Poirier, 30, appeared successful Charlottetown provincial tribunal Friday morning. He entered the courtroom dressed successful a grey sweat suit, with some his arms and legs successful cuffs. Both of his parents, on with 1 brother, were successful the courtroom erstwhile the condemnation was handed down.

Poirier held hands with household members earlier Judge Jeff Lantz addressed the court.

Lantz said determination was nary uncertainty Poirier suffered from a "severe addiction" but called the magnitude of drugs recovered successful Poirier's possession "troubling." He told the tribunal helium hoped this was stone bottommost for the antheral and would yet pb him to get assistance with his addiction.

Lantz sentenced Poirier to 90 months successful situation with a recognition of 13 months for clip already served, leaving him to walk different 77 months incarcerated. Poirier will also beryllium required to springiness a DNA illustration and won't beryllium allowed to ain a limb for 10 years.

Poirier had pleaded blameworthy to possession for the intent of trafficking connected the fentanyl complaint successful January. Two different cause charges were dropped astatine that time.

'I'm profoundly regretful'

Federal Crown authoritative Jade Pictou had asked for a condemnation of 9 years, citing the seriousness of the transgression and the sheer magnitude of drugs Poirier was successful possession of.

She told the tribunal the fentanyl seized contained methamphetamine and parafluorofentanyl, which is 7 times stronger than fentanyl, and Poirier was carrying capable of the cause for each of the astir 179,000 radical who unrecorded successful P.E.I. to person 2 doses.

Pictou did admit Poirier's aboriginal blameworthy plea and the information that helium has a supportive household successful her recommendation, but added that he's been given many opportunities to alteration and hasn't done so.

Poirier's ineligible assistance lawyer, Chris Van Ouwerkerk, pointed to a pre-sentence study that elaborate his client's 15-year conflict with addiction. He told the tribunal his lawsuit started with marijuana, escalating from intoxicant and cookware to medicine drugs and ultimately hard drugs similar fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.

The tribunal heard Poirier has accidentally overdosed 7 times, struggling with an addiction truthful terrible helium utilized drugs astatine enactment and erstwhile overdosed connected the job. 

Van Ouwerkerk also said Poirier and his woman had separated soon earlier his arrest, which contributed to his relapse.

Poirer addressed the tribunal connected Friday, saying determination was nary excuse for his actions and helium was acceptable to judge the consequences.

"I'm profoundly regretful for the decisions I've made to enactment my addiction," helium said. "I'm precise sorry."

The defence asked for a condemnation of 4 years (or 48 months) if the justice decided Poirier's addiction was an aggravating factor, oregon 5 years (60 months) if it wasn't taken into account.

Second-largest bust successful P.E.I. history

Charlottetown Police said they arrested Poirier in 2024 after a Street Crime Unit probe that led to the seizure of 339 grams of fentanyl and astir 1,000 pills.

At the time, constabulary believed it to beryllium the second-largest fentanyl bust in the province's history, with an estimated street worth connected that cause unsocial of about $170,000.

Fentanyl and different high-potency opioids have been pinpointed arsenic substance for the overdose, homelessness and intelligence wellness crises seen crossed North America successful the past decade.

P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Office had to pass Islanders astir fentanyl circulating successful the assemblage astatine slightest doubly successful 2024: erstwhile successful February aft determination were seven overdoses successful 1 day, and past aft six overdoses on different azygous time successful June.

Poirier is simply a erstwhile worker of the Charlottetown-based exigency shelter, a provincially tally overnight structure connected Park Street for those experiencing homelessness. The province has said Poirier near that occupation successful December 2023, six months earlier his 2024 arrest.

No nexus betwixt Poirier's cause dealing and his employment with that structure has been established successful court.