COUNTY - He thought it was a way to make some fast money, but instead a Mount Pleasant man will be out more than $22,000 after getting caught with thousands of illegal cigarettes.

 Ronald Nelson Veinot was fined $17,070.64 under the provincial Revenue Act and $4,998 under the federal Excise Act November 18 in Bridgewater provincial court.

 He'd previously pleaded guilty to charges of having unmarked and unstamped tobacco products after police searched his property on March 23. Officers found 29,400 illegal cigarettes in the basement, behind a couch in the living room and in an upstairs bedroom.

 Judge Jim Burrill said the heavy fines, which were the minimum permitted by legislation based on the number of cigarettes seized, should send a message to others that having illegal cigarettes doesn't pay "because the consequences will indeed be great" if they are caught.

 "This court is seeing these cases come before it with alarming frequency. Hardly a week goes by that this court is not dealing with a case where illegal cigarettes are being sold in the community," Judge Burrill said.

 It's not just about cheating the government of tax money, he added.

 "The sale of illegal cigarettes is a significant fueller of organized crime within this country, which brings with it all of the evils associated with that organized activity," Judge Burrill said.

 Mr. Veinot, 54, was also placed on probation for two years on charges of possessing and producing marijuana.

 During the search, officers found 1,381 grams of dried marijuana bud in the house and garage. They also discovered a drying room above the garage and an area behind the home with a makeshift irrigation system where Mr. Veinot had been growing plants.

 He told police and his lawyer the marijuana was for his own use. He uses the drug to manage pain from a 1998 back injury, although he doesn't have a permit allowing that use for medicinal purposes.

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 Defence lawyer Franceen Romney pointed to Mr. Veinot's "very favourable" presentence report, saying even one of the arresting RCMP officers indicated this was likely one-time behaviour for her client. Mr. Veinot was not on the South Shore street squad's radar for illegal activity before or since March.

 "I think the position of the police speaks volumes in relation to Mr. Veinot's participation in these offences," she said.

 Nevertheless, she added, the outcome is going to be a "significant financial hardship and obstacle" for her client.

 Judge Burrill ordered Mr. Veinot to stay clear of drugs and take counselling as directed while on probation. He also banned him from having firearms for 10 years.

posted on 11/24/09