A man found with 28 grams of cocaine has been given a $2,300 fine and a year of probation after he pleaded guilty to charges at Jasper Provincial Court on June 24.

Nicholas Pierson pleaded guilty to one count of possession (cocaine) while another charge against him for possession of a substance and two counts of failure to appear in court were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea.

According to Crown Prosecutor Irwin Schultz, on February 21, the RCMP responded to a home in Jasper after receiving reports of a woman screaming and yelling. Upon opening the front door of the home to the police, the man inside took one look at the cops and closed it right back into their faces. That man was Pierson, said Schultz.

Police gained access to the home and upon questioning Pierson about his name, were told ‘what does it matter?’ 

Only after a search of the home and Pierson, which uncovered the drugs, were the police able to figure out who Pierson was.

“I was honestly a little surprised by the whole thing,” Pierson told the court. He said that it was his last few days in Jasper and he had just been looking to have some fun and go out with a bang.

“It was right before the big Canada-Russia hockey game too and because I’m such a big hockey fan, you know, I just thought the time seemed right,” Pierson also said to the judge, explaining why he thought he would acquire 28 grams of cocaine.

Judge V. Myer told Pierson he was lucky to have escaped with the punishment he did. He said  he knew of cases where one person would buy enough cocaine to supply everyone at a party with drugs for the night. If that was proven as the case here, than Pierson could have been charged with trafficking in drugs, which could have landed him two years in jail.

“Were you aware that that could have been your punishment?” said Judge Myers.

Pierson said he was not.