Update:
Notorious Fort St. John fentanyl dealer Dana Nazarek has been found guilty on his latest round of drug trafficking charges but remains at large and wanted on a Canada-wide arrest warrant.
Nazarek, 50, is wanted after cutting his electronic monitoring bracelet and fleeing sometime before a June 29 court appearance, and one day before a guilty verdict was delivered by jury trial in Vancouver Supreme Court on June 30.
The Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed that the jury was informed of Nazarek's escape and given instructions by the court to finish the proceedings and their deliberations.
The jury found Nazarek guilty on six counts of drug trafficking and four counts of illegal weapons possession, all stemming from a 2018 police raid on his home in the 8900 block of 87 Avenue.
During the raid, RCMP seized 800 fentanyl tablets as well as carfentanil, cocaine, meth, heroin, five loaded firearms, and $38,000 in cash.
"The Crown communicated to the Court that Mr. Nazarek had removed his ankle bracelet—he was subject to electronic monitoring as a condition of his bail," the Prosecution Service said in a statement.
"The Court was satisfied, pursuant to s.475 of the Criminal Code, that Mr. Nazarek had absconded. The trial proceeded in his absence. The jury was instructed, and completed their deliberations."
"Mr. Nazarek was found guilty of all charges," the Prosecution Service said. "A warrant is outstanding for Mr. Nazarek’s arrest."
Nazarek had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on strict bail conditions to a halfway house in Surrey in March, including a requirement to wear the ankle bracelet. Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers alerted the public that Nazarek was unlawfully at large on July 7.
Nazarek has a long history of trafficking fentanyl in Fort St. John.
He was convicted and sentenced to 40 months in prison in 2018 after police raided his home and seized more than 2,000 fentanyl pills disguised as Oxycontin in December 2013.
Original story:
A notorious Fort St. John fentanyl dealer is on the lam.
Dana Nazarek, 50, is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for being unlawfully at large after escaping custody sometime between June 29 and 30, just days before a jury trial on his latest round of drug trafficking charges was scheduled to end in BC Supreme Court in Vancouver.
Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers alerted the public of Nazarek's escape on July 7.
Nazarek faces 16 counts of drug trafficking, illegal weapons possession, and possessing the proceeds of crime after police raided his home in Fort St. John in 2018.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on strict bail conditions to a halfway house in Surrey in March, including a requirement to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet on his ankle. Sources tell Alaska Highway News the bracelet was found cutoff and disabled in Richmond. Further details surrounding his escape remain unclear at this time.
Nazarek has a history of trafficking fentanyl in Fort St. John.
He was convicted and sentenced to 40 months in prison in 2018 after police raided his home and seized more than 2,000 fentanyl pills disguised as Oxycontin in December 2013.
Email Managing Editor Matt Preprost at editor@ahnfsj.ca.
