Pubdate: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2010 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Kim Bolan Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) U.S. JUDGE GIVES LANGLEY MAN 10 YEARS FOR SMUGGLING ECSTASY A Langley man convicted of smuggling ecstasy into the U.S. received a 10-year sentence in a Seattle courtroom Monday. Bradley Keith Bourque, 35, pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy to distribute ecstasy. He was arrested last Oct. 20 as he crossed into Washington state with 200,000 ecstasy pills secreted in a hidden compartment in his GMC pickup. U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said the customized compartment was proof that Bourque had either made previous smuggling trips or planned others in the future. Bourque was arrested after undercover agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made contact with a drug producer. "The agents had arranged the delivery through telephone calls with an ecstasy supplier operating out of British Columbia," stated the sentencing memo prepared by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scoville. Bourque met the agents who surreptitiously recorded the conversation in which the Langley man boasted he had a special secret compartment built into his GMC pickup truck. "He told the undercover agents he had been smuggling drugs for some time and that he was close to others within his organization," the memo said. "Little by little, the undercover agent elicited one damning admission after another. Bourque stated that he had been doing smuggling runs for 'a few years,' and that he was paid 'per job.' ... He described the man he was delivering for as 'awesome' and 'totally solid,' " Scoville wrote. "At one point, Bourque made a call to his boss, who he explained liked to know where he was. Bourque can be heard telling his boss, 'Yo bro, we're just gonna wait for one piece because I don't want to release anything without a piece to put it in.' Regarding his truck, Bourque explained that '[w]e have a special shop that works on it.'" Border crossing records show Bourque had crossed from Canada into the U.S. five times in 2009 before his arrest. "For some time, Bradley Keith Bourque operated as a professional drug smuggler, carrying large loads of ecstasy into the United States. Due to good investigative work, he was caught in the act with a massive quantity of ecstasy and now stands before the court for sentencing," Scoville said. "The court should not let pass the opportunity to send a message to would-be Canadian drug smugglers by imposing a substantial sentence on Bourque." Bourque had a single conviction in Canada for driving while prohibited. Scoville said drug groups seem to be recruiting couriers who are not on police radar. "This minimal record is something of a job requirement for a drug smuggler, because Canadians who are convicted of drug trafficking usually lose the privilege of entering into the United States," Scoville wrote. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake