Rosedale man in custody for drug trafficking
Jerod Nowlan, 43, of Rosedale, will appear in provincial court in Miramichi in custody on Sept. 29 at 9:30 a.m. to answer multiple charges related to guns and drugs.
Police arrested Nowlan on July 28 as part of an investigation. He was charged with five counts of drug trafficking in fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and hydromorphone; possession of a loaded handgun, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, and dangerously carrying a firearm. He was remanded to jail after a bail hearing. In Woodstock, he is facing a charge of driving while suspended. Nowlan has a prior criminal record.
Kintore man sentenced
Gunner Gray, 24, of Upper Kintore, was sentenced to 192 days in jail or time served, plus 30 days of house arrest, when he appeared in provincial court on Sept. 17. He was also fined over $800 and was prohibited from driving for two years.
Gray appeared for trial in provincial court in custody via video on Aug. 7 and changed his plea to guilty on multiple charges laid by the RCMP. He was released with conditions until his sentencing.
He was denied bail on April 16 and later pleaded guilty to breaching his release order, mischief involving damage to an ankle bracelet, and resisting arrest on April 13 at Richmond Settlement and Bath.
He also pleaded guilty to flight from police, dangerous driving and impaired driving in connection with an incident on March 17 in Glassville; guilty to flight from police and driving while suspended on Feb. 11 in Jacksonville; guilty to uttering threats, resisting arrest, fleeing police, and four violations of the Motor Vehicle Act for incidents on Feb. 25, April 8 and July 22, 2025. The Crown withdrew four other breach charges. Gray has a prior record of mainly motor vehicle offences.
Remanded for bail hearing
Kenneth Lake, 39, of Lansdowne, will appear in provincial court in custody via video for a bail hearing on Sept. 22 at 9:30 a.m. Police arrested him on Sept. 15 and remanded him to jail. On Sept. 17, the court adjourned his bail hearing to next week.
RCMP charged Lake with assaulting another man and breaching his release order in connection with an incident on Sept. 14 at Stickney. The court ordered him to have no contact with the complainant.
Lake also appeared in provincial court on Feb. 24 and pleaded not guilty to two other charges the RCMP laid. His trial date was set for Feb. 3, 2027, at 9:30 a.m.
Lake appeared in custody via video for a bail hearing on Feb. 5 and was released with conditions. He was charged with breaching a no-contact order on Feb. 2 in Lansdowne and assaulting a female victim on Nov. 28, 2025, in Lansdowne.
Charged with firearm offences
Dustin Broad, 39, of Moose Mountain, will appear in provincial court on Oct. 13 at 9:30 a.m. to enter a plea to six charges laid by the RCMP.
Broad was charged with intentionally discharging a firearm, pointing a firearm, careless use of a firearm, assault with a weapon (a firearm), causing suffering to an animal by shooting two dogs, and mischief causing property damage to a house in connection with an incident on June 18 at Piercemont. He made his first court appearance on Sept. 15 when the matter was adjourned to the new date.
Incident at Eel River Lake
Edward Blair, 49, of Sproul Road in Eel River, will appear in provincial court on Oct. 13 at 9:30 a.m. for plea on several charges laid by RCMP.
Blair was charged with assaulting a male victim and uttering threats on June 3 at Eel River Lake and assaulting a woman with a weapon (an axe), uttering threats and mischief causing property damage to a vehicle on June 3 in Woodstock. He made his first court appearance on Sept. 15 when the matter was adjourned to the new date.
Ontario man facing sex charge
David Vermont, 36, of Owen Sound, Ontario, will appear in provincial court on Oct. 6 at 9:30 a.m. for plea on three charges laid by the RCMP.
Vermont was charged with sexual assault, assault and uttering threats stemming from an incident between Aug. 1, 2013, and July 31, 2019, in Fielding. He was scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 15 when the matter was adjourned at the request of his defence counsel. Vermont did not appear, and the court held a warrant on file.
Trial adjourned
Scott Robert Bailey, 72, of Bedell, will appear in provincial court on Oct. 8 at 9:30 a.m. to set a new date for his trial on multiple firearm charges laid by RCMP.
Bailey was charged with four counts of careless use of a firearm, four counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm, and one count of unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon concerning an incident on April 25, 2025, in Bedell. He pleaded not guilty and was scheduled for trial on Sept. 16-17 when the matter was adjourned. A warrant was held on file as Bailey did not appear in court.
24-month conditional sentence
Jerico Perley, 23, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), was handed a 24-month conditional sentence when he appeared in provincial court on Sept. 17. He was also placed on two years of probation and must seek counselling as required.
Judge Karen Lee said the first 12 months of his sentence would involve house arrest followed by a curfew for the remaining 12 months. He must also register for the federal DNA database and was prohibited from the use of weapons and firearms.
Perley was charged by the RCMP with assault with a weapon involving a female victim, two counts of uttering threats, possession of a prohibited weapon (a guard dog baton/taser), possession of a firearm (shotgun) without a licence, assault, assault by choking, and improper storage of a firearm following an incident on Sept. 15 and Sept. 18, 2024, at Neqotkuk. He appeared in court in custody and was released with conditions.
Perley pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon, one count of uttering threats, assault by choking, possession of a firearm without a licence, and improper storage of a shotgun. The Crown withdrew the remaining charges. Perley had no prior criminal record.
The Crown forfeited all weapons seized during the investigation. Perley must also have no contact with the female victim and her child. Judge Lee told the court the level of domestic violence involved in the crime made the victim fear for her life.
Trial in October
Ronald David Whitfeld, 29, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court in custody via video on Sept. 17 for a monitoring hearing about his trial. He pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges laid against him by Woodstock Police. His trial dates were set for Oct. 28-29 at 9:30 a.m. A monitoring hearing was booked for Sept. 22 at 9:30 a.m. to confirm he will have legal counsel to proceed to trial.
Whitfeld appeared in court in custody on Aug. 4 and later waived bail. He pleaded not guilty to uttering threats on Aug. 7 in Woodstock; possession of methamphetamine on June 2 in Woodstock; breaching a no-contact order between June 8 and Aug. 2 in Woodstock; unlawful confinement, assaulting a female victim, uttering threats, and assault by choking on Aug. 2; and two counts of assaulting the same woman on July 21 and July 24 in Woodstock.
Whitfeld also pleaded not guilty to uttering threats and assault with a weapon (a lighter) involving a female victim on April 7 in Woodstock; two counts of possession of a firearm without a licence, pointing a firearm (a pump-action shotgun), possession of a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence, carelessly carrying a firearm, and improper storage of a firearm on April 8 in Woodstock; and assault on a female victim on April 10 in Woodstock.
Whitfeld appeared in provincial court via video in custody on June 8 for a bail hearing and was released on conditions after police arrested him during an operation on Elm Street in Woodstock on June 2.
He pleaded not guilty to possession of a firearm without a licence, pointing a firearm, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, and carelessly carrying a firearm.
Woodstock Police laid the charges after executing a search warrant at a residence on Elm Street when a firearm and a quantity of ammunition were seized. The seizure was conducted in cooperation with the Fredericton Police Force Emergency Response Team. Police said they used specialized tactics, including specialty munitions, to bring the operation to a safe and swift conclusion.
Fine and probation
London Murchison, 20, of Plaster Rock, was fined $100 and was placed on probation for 12 months when he appeared for sentencing in provincial court on Sept. 16.
Murchison was charged with assault with a weapon (a knife) and possession of a prohibited weapon (a butterfly knife) concerning an incident on Sept. 2, 2024, at Plaster Rock.
He pleaded guilty to the lesser included offence of common assault,, and the Crown withdrew the remaining charges. The court ordered him to have no contact with the complainants.
Fined $1,000
Mitchell Hillman, 36, of Wilmot, was fined $1,000 and was placed on probation for 18 months when he appeared for sentencing in provincial court on Sept. 18. He was found guilty after trial on an assault charge laid by Woodstock Police.
Judge Sebastian Michaud also ordered Hillman to seek counselling as required. He was charged with assault involving a female victim and uttering threats on Sept. 16, 2024, in Woodstock. The Crown withdrew the threat charge, and his trial went ahead regarding the assault. The court ordered him to have no contact with the complainant.
Hillman pleaded not guilty to mischief, dangerous driving, flight from police, and obstruction in connection with another incident on March 13, 2025, in Woodstock. He failed to appear for trial, and the court issued an arrest warrant. He was later released from custody, and the court set a new trial date for Oct. 7 at 9:30 a.m.
Sentencing in December
Taranjeet Singh, 39, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court on Sept. 17 and changed his plea to guilty on an assault charge laid by Woodstock Police. His sentencing was set for Dec. 16 at 9:30 a.m.
Singh appeared in provincial court in custody for a bail hearing on Oct. 10 and was released with conditions. He was charged by Woodstock Police with assault with a weapon (a knife) and uttering threats in connection with an incident on Sept. 6 and another alleged assault on Sept. 7 in Woodstock. He was ordered to have no contact with three complainants.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of assault, and the Crown withdrew the remaining two charges.
Guilty of assault
Sherra Gregg, 29, of Anderson Road, Victoria County, will appear for sentencing in provincial court on Oct. 6 at 9:30 a.m. after changing her plea to guilty on an assault charge laid by the RCMP.
Gregg was charged with assaulting another woman and unlawful entry at a dwelling house on July 16, 2024, at Quaker Brook. The Crown withdrew the unlawful entry charge.
Gregg also had a trial set for Sept. 16 after pleading not guilty to charges of breaching an undertaking on March 31, 2025, in Perth-Andover, and criminal harassment by repeated communication between March 8 and March 25, 2025, in Plaster Rock.
Her trial was adjourned, and a new date will be set on Oct. 6. The court heard that more files are to be transferred for plea from another jurisdiction.
