Troy Pelkey to be sentenced in March
“I got you once. I can get you again. Next time you’re dead.”
The court heard those menacing words were uttered by Troy Pelkey, 56, an admitted cocaine dealer from Tilley in Victoria County, as he orchestrated the kidnapping and torture of an Aroostook woman last year at Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation).
On Dec. 30, Judge Anne Marie Richard ruled Pelkey was the “directing force” in the crime and found him guilty after trial on five charges of kidnapping, uttering threats, forcible confinement, extortion with violence to obtain $10,000, and pointing a firearm at a female victim between April 27 and April 29, 2024.
Pelkey was found not guilty on a remaining charge of unauthorized possession of a restricted firearm. He remains in custody and returns to court for sentencing on March 24, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. A lengthy federal prison sentence is expected.
The eight-day trial called 13 Crown witnesses to the stand. Pelkey testified in his own defence and denied his involvement. However, a phone call he made from jail to his former partner proved to be a deciding factor in erasing his credibility.
During the phone call, Pelkey asked his former partner to provide an alibi, stating he was home with her on the night of the crime. His former partner did not comply with his request and testified for the Crown at trial.
Six other individuals from Neqotkuk were also charged in the kidnapping, and two of them testified against Pelkey. The court heard their violent actions were premeditated, fuelled by drugs, and motivated by financial gain because Pelkey offered a bounty for snaring the victim. Once caught, she was given 30 days to pay a debt, or she would die.
“Kill the bitch, I don’t care,” Pelkey told his co-conspirators as a gun was pointed at her head.
A 55-year-old Aroostook woman testified she was ambushed, kidnapped, gagged, beaten, and tortured for two days at Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) last April. She begged for her life during the last hours of her captivity and then crawled out of a body bag in the trunk of a car and ran for help. She said she lives with long-term physical injuries and deep emotional trauma caused by the experience.
Jacob Perley, 35, Adam Perley, 34, and Preston Sockabasin, 29, were each sentenced to federal prison after appearing in provincial court in custody on Oct. 3. They pleaded guilty to multiple offences.
Jacob Perley was handed six years in prison, minus 310 days for time served. Adam Perley was sentenced to three years in prison, minus 771 days for time served. Preston Sockabasin was sentenced to four years in prison, minus 315 days for time served.
Sheena Sappier, 36, Keagan Paul, 32, and Ashley Paul, 33, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), appeared for sentencing in provincial court on Dec. 17 after changing their plea to guilty for their role in the kidnapping.
Keagan Paul pleaded guilty to unlawful confinement, kidnapping with intent, and being an occupant of a vehicle knowing it carried a firearm. He was the driver of a vehicle in which the victim was tied up and held in the trunk.
Paul was sentenced to two years of house arrest and 12 months of probation. He spent 45 days in remand, cooperated with the police during the investigation, and gave evidence at Pelkey’s trial.
Paul was also ordered to register with the federal DNA database and was prohibited from using firearms. His house arrest includes 12 months of following a curfew. He had no prior criminal record.
Sheena Sappier and Ashley Paul were each charged with kidnapping a female victim, unlawful confinement, attempting to obstruct justice by disposing of evidence, and theft of a motor vehicle. The court heard the victim’s car was stolen and burned during the commission of the offence.
Both women pleaded guilty to theft of a motor vehicle and attempting to obstruct justice by disposing of evidence. The Crown withdrew the remaining two charges.
Sappier was sentenced to one year of house arrest and must pay $493 in restitution for transactions made on the victim’s credit card, taken from her purse on the night of the kidnapping. Sappier must also register with the federal DNA database. Her house arrest includes six months of following a curfew.
Sappier had a dated prior criminal record and spent 37 days in remand. The court heard that she also cooperated with police during the investigation and gave evidence at Pelkey’s trial.
Ashley Paul was sentenced to 18 months in jail and 12 months of probation. She also pleaded guilty to other unrelated charges, including assaulting another woman while in custody at the Miramichi jail on May 30, 2024, and breaking into a dwelling house on March 21, 2025, at Craig’s Flats, when two TVs and a laptop were stolen. The Crown withdrew five other charges. She spent 111 days in remand and must also register with the federal DNA database and continue counselling for addiction.
Fit to stand trial
Earl James Demerchant, 34, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court in custody via video on Dec. 30 for a fitness hearing after being remanded to Restigouche hospital for a 30-day mental health assessment. He was found fit to stand trial and returns to court in custody on Jan. 2 at 9:30 a.m. for a bail hearing and plea.
Demerchant was charged with mischief, causing property damage to a window on Main Street in Woodstock on July 8; causing a disturbance in a public place and breaching probation on Nov. 5; and breaching a release order and breaching probation on Nov. 22 in Woodstock.
Sentenced to time served
Brandon Michael Francis, 30, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), was sentenced to time served and two years of probation when he appeared in provincial court in custody on Dec. 24. He changed his plea to guilty on several charges laid by the RCMP.
Francis was charged with breaking into a dwelling house, mischief, causing property damage to a door and window, uttering threats, and assaulting another man with a wooden two-by-four in connection with an incident on April 29 at Neqotkuk. He pleaded guilty to the mischief charge, breach of probation, and resisting arrest. The remaining charges against him were withdrawn.
Francis also pleaded guilty to breaching his release order by violating the conditions of electronic monitoring and mischief, causing damage to his ankle bracelet on May 1 in Perth-Andover, and breaching his house arrest on May 8 at Perth-Andover. He was denied bail on Aug. 19 and spent several months in custody.
Fined $2,600 for impaired
Nicholas Robert McHatten, 29, of Woodstock, was fined $2,600 after pleading guilty on Dec. 22 to an impaired driving charge. He was also prohibited from driving for 18 months.
McHatten was charged by the Woodstock Police in connection with an incident on May 27. The court heard about an accident on Charles Street when a vehicle left the road and struck a tree. McHatten was treated at the hospital for minor injuries.
Guilty to mail theft
Melissa Dawn Bull, 43, of Richmond Corner, was handed a six-month conditional sentence order and 12 months of probation when she appeared in provincial court for sentencing on Dec. 22. She pleaded guilty to two charges.
Bull was charged by the RCMP with theft of mail (two envelopes) and defrauding Canada Post (gift cards), stemming from an incident on Aug. 16-17, 2024, in Woodstock.
The court heard she lost her job as a mail delivery driver as a result of the incident. She had no prior criminal record. She must follow a curfew under her conditional sentence order and seek counselling as part of her probation.
Sentencing postponed
Michael James Watson, 30, of Bath, will appear for sentencing in provincial court on Jan. 8, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. after changing his plea to guilty on two charges laid by the RCMP.
Watson pleaded guilty to mischief, causing property damage to a vehicle and dangerous driving on Nov. 5, 2023, in Bath. His sentencing was first scheduled for Dec. 30, but was adjourned to the new date.
In custody awaiting sentencing
Kyrin Moulton, 20, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), will appear in provincial court in custody via video on Jan. 13, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. to set a new date for his sentencing hearing.
Moulton pleaded guilty to uttering threats against another man and breach of probation on Sept. 8 in Perth-Andover; guilty to breach of probation on Sept. 17 at Perth-Andover; and guilty to unlawful entry at a dwelling house on Sept. 25 in Perth-Andover. The Crown withdrew another charge of possession of a prohibited weapon (brass knuckles). His sentencing was first scheduled for Dec. 23 but was adjourned to the new date.
Guilty plea entered
Kaylee Melinda Smith of Centreville will appear in provincial court on Jan. 6, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. to set a date for her sentencing on two charges.
On Dec. 30, Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of identity theft for an incident on March 19 in Woodstock. Smith was also charged with flight from police and dangerous driving on July 10 in Hartland and will enter a plea on Jan. 6, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
Sentencing adjourned
Jace Maddox Anderson, 20, of Woodstock, will appear for sentencing in provincial court on Jan. 14, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. after changing his plea to guilty on one charge laid by Woodstock Police.
Anderson was charged with uttering threats and breach of a no-contact order following an incident on July 1, 2024, in Woodstock. He pleaded guilty to the threats, and the Crown withdrew the breach charge. His sentencing was first scheduled for Dec. 30 but was adjourned to the new date.
Held for bail hearing
Jacob Jinson, 26, of Somerville, will appear in provincial court in custody via video for a bail hearing on Dec. 31 at 9:30 a.m. after being arrested on a warrant on the weekend.
Jinson was charged by the RCMP with uttering threats on April 10, 2024, in Somerville, breaching his curfew on April 20, 2024, and failing to appear in court on Aug. 6, 2024. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial date was set for Dec. 3, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. A monitoring date was set for Jan. 6, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
Agrees to peace bond
Abdulmajid Alghlid, 59, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court on Dec. 22 for a monitoring hearing about his trial on an assault charge. He agreed to sign an eight-month peace bond, and the trial was cancelled.
Woodstock Police charged Alghlid with assault concerning an incident on May 27, 2024, in Woodstock. The peace bond will result in the charge being withdrawn.
Break-in on Searle Street
Two men remain in custody on charges related to a break-in on Searle Street on Nov. 24.
Bastian Bradbury of Fredericton and Michael Ronald McKee of Woodstock were each charged with breaking into a woodworking shop, possession of stolen tools, possession of a stolen vehicle (a Mazda CX5), possession of break-in tools, and prowling at night. Bradbury also faces a charge of wearing a mask while committing an offence.
Bradbury and McKee both return to court in custody for plea on Jan. 8, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. The court heard they are also in custody on other charges in Fredericton.
Arrested on a warrant
Leon McGraw, 62, of Hartin Settlement, appeared in provincial court in custody via teleconference on Dec. 22 after being arrested on a warrant. He was released with conditions and returns to court for plea on Jan. 13, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. He is facing charges stemming from an incident near Canterbury.
Trial date pending
Michael Thomas Solomon, 52, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), appeared in provincial court on Dec. 30 and pleaded not guilty to an assault charge laid by the RCMP. He returns to court on Jan. 27, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. to set a trial date.
Solomon was charged with assaulting another man in connection with an incident on Sept. 1 at Neqotkuk. He was released on an undertaking on Dec. 2.
Failed to appear
The court issued an arrest warrant for Tina Eccleston, 50, of Plaster Rock, after she failed to appear in provincial court on Dec. 30 to answer a breach-of-probation charge.
The RCMP charged Eccleston after allegedly failing to complete 20 hours of community service work on Feb. 9 in Plaster Rock as part of her probation order.
The court heard that the community service was ordered following her conviction for shoplifting.
Facing four charges
Cole Chenoweth, 43, of Teeds Mill, will appear in provincial court on Jan. 27, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. for plea on four charges laid by Woodstock Police.
Chenoweth was charged with refusing a breathalyzer, impaired driving, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer on Aug. 2 in Woodstock. He was scheduled for plea on Dec. 30, but the matter was adjourned to the new date.
Warrant on file
A warrant is being held on file for John Ennis, 59, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), after he failed to appear in provincial court on Dec. 30 to answer an impaired driving charge. Ennis was charged by the RCMP stemming from an incident at Neqotkuk.
Woodstock man facing sex charge
Michael Charles Denny, 33, of Woodstock, will appear in provincial court on Feb. 3, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. for plea on two charges laid by Woodstock Police.
Denny was charged with sexual assault involving a female victim between Jan. 1 and Feb. 15 and uttering threats on Feb. 15 in Woodstock. He appeared in court for plea on Dec. 30 when the matter was adjourned to the new date.
Guilty to mischief
Dylan Rideout, 26, of Hartland, will appear for sentencing in provincial court on April 7, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. after pleading guilty to a mischief charge.
Rideout was charged by the Woodstock Police with mischief, causing property damage to a vehicle on Feb. 1. He entered a guilty plea at a court appearance on Dec. 30.
Stolen vehicle allegation
The court issued an arrest warrant for Brandon Hamilton, 36, of Woodstock, after he failed to appear in provincial court on Dec. 30 for plea on three charges laid by Woodstock Police. Hamilton was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and two counts of driving while suspended.
Returning for plea
Jerod Nowlan, 40, of Rosedale, will appear in provincial court on Jan. 13, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. for plea on four charges laid by Woodstock Police.
Nowlan was charged with possession of a stolen motorcycle and altering a vehicle identification number on Aug. 5, and with flight from police and fraud in a separate incident in Woodstock.
He was scheduled to enter a plea on Dec. 30, but the matter was adjourned to a new date. A warrant will be held on file until his next court appearance.
