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Northern Saskatchewan man facing organized crime charges appears in Saskatoon court

A northern Saskatchewan man facing organized crime charges had more court appearances. Brennen Sanderson, 28, from the Prince Albert area, had appearances in Prince Albert Provincial Court on Aug. 24 and in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Aug. 28.
rcmp arrest
During an eight-month organized crime investigation police executed a search warrant on Sturgeon lake First Nation on Feb. 12 and seized a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, a replica handgun, a spear gun, and a quantity of suspected hydromorphone. The investigation saw the arrest of four people. (RCMP photo)

A northern Saskatchewan man facing organized crime charges had more court appearances.

Brennen Sanderson, 28, from the Prince Albert area, had appearances in Prince Albert Provincial Court on Aug. 24 and in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Aug. 28.

The RCMP Crime Reduction Team arrested Sanderson and three others after what police described as a lengthy organized crime investigation that started in October 2019. The investigation targeted people they believed were involved in organized crime activity in various communities around Prince Albert. Officers from Prince Albert RCMP, Prince Albert Police Service and Saskatoon Police Service assisted the CRT team in the investigation.

Police executed a search warrant on Sturgeon lake First Nation on Feb. 12. They seized a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, a replica handgun, a spear gun, and a quantity of suspected hydromorphone.

At that home they arrested Sanderson, along with Shania Yooya, 24, and Shannon Sanderson, 29. All three were charged with unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, unsafe storage of a firearm, possession of a firearm with a tampered serial number, and possession of a weapon obtained by crime.

Shannon Sanderson was released from custody and failed to appear in court in March. A warrant is out for her arrest and she hasn’t been captured to date.

Police also arrested Jesse Dillon, 28, from Onion Lake on April 10. Police found him sitting in the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre.

Raini Henderson from the Nipawin area was charged and police found him at the Prince Albert Provincial Correctional Centre on May 6.

Henderson is scheduled to appear in Prince Albert Provincial Court on Sept. 14. He is charged with facilitating the activities of a criminal organization.

Dillon elected to be tried by Court of Queen’s Bench judge alone. He is charged with recruiting for a criminal organization, trafficking a controlled substance for a criminal organization, uttering threats for a criminal organization, and conspiracy to commit assault for a criminal organization.

Dillon is also charged with numerous firearms offences, fabricating evidence, trafficking in methamphetamine and obstruction of justice.

Yooya is facing organized crime charges including trafficking a controlled substance for a criminal organization, uttering threats for a criminal organization, and conspiracy to commit assault for a criminal organization. She is additionally charged with weapons offences, trafficking, obstruction and fabricating evidence. She pleaded not guilty in Prince Albert Provincial Court in June. She was released on bail.

Yooya is on the Sept. 25 Prince Albert pre-trial list.

Brennan Sanderson is scheduled to appear in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Sept. 4 to elect how he wants to be tried.