Case of Sault's largest-ever fentanyl bust back in court

Alleged member of Toronto Driftwood Crips will have pre-trial meeting with local prosecutors next week; follow-up court date set for June 15

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1 / 1 Richard Anderson Brewster, a.k.a Toronto hip hop artist Richie Stacks, was one of five people charged in the Sault's biggest-ever fentanyl bust in January 2023. Instagram

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An alleged member of the Toronto Driftwood Crips involved in the largest-ever fentanyl bust in Sault Ste. Marie’s history continues to be held in custody as his case slowly works its way through the courts.

The case of Richard Brewster — the subject of a previous SooToday article highlighting hip hop artist Richie Stack's checkered criminal past — is scheduled for a Crown pre-trial on May 24.

Also known in legal circles as a Crown resolution meeting, a Crown pre-trial is a meeting where defence counsel and prosecutors discuss aspects of the court file and the background of the accused. A potential resolution or decision to go to trial may also be made during that time.

During a brief videoconferencing appearance yesterday in Sault Ste. Marie, a representative for Brewster’s legal counsel expressed concern to the Ontario Court of Justice that they have yet to receive surveillance notes or an arrest report from police.

Brewster’s representative also expressed concern that their client has been consistently “hard to reach” while in custody in the Sault.

Brewster was one of five individuals arrested in Sault Ste. Marie this past January as a result of Project Otter, a joint investigation between Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, Durham Regional Police Service and Thunder Bay Police Service which netted more than $1 million in drugs.

Approximately $470,000 worth of narcotics was seized in the Sault, including 700 grams of fentanyl — a record one-time seizure for Sault police.

During the execution of two search warrants in Sault Ste. Marie — one of a residence in the 600 block of MacDonald Avenue and one of a seized vehicle — officers located and arrested the five accused.

All five were charged with multiple counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime. As previously reported by SooToday, two of the accused — Oshane Davis-Forbes and Maurice Fidd — had been arrested prior to Project Otter for drug trafficking offences in both Sudbury and the Sault within the past two years.

Court documents obtained by SooToday earlier this year show that Brewster was previously arrested and charged by Sault Ste. Marie Police Service in November 2022 for allegedly having a stolen car in his possession and being without a driver’s licence or car insurance.

Brewster’s next court date has been scheduled for June 15.