A bizarre drugs and weapons bust from 2023 that led to the closure of Highway 400 north of Barrie as police searched for a suspect has ended with a guilty plea just as the trial was set to begin at the local courthouse.
Jordan Cole, who was 25 when he was arrested, pleaded guilty to three counts on Monday that included trafficking cocaine, possession of a prohibited firearm and failure to comply.
Asked by Superior Court Justice Suzan Fraser if he was guilty during her standard inquiry designed to ensure a plea is being made properly, Cole was clear.
“That is correct, your honour,” Cole told the judge. “… I understand everything (I’m doing).”
Court heard that Cole was in a taxi bound for his hometown of Sudbury on the evening of Sept. 16, 2023 when he suddenly demanded to be let out near the Mount St. Louis Road exit on the highway, about 25 minutes north of Barrie.
He left behind a gun and about $3,000 in Canadian currency, court heard.
No reason was provided in court as to why Cole fled the cab without the money and weapon.
It may have been because his hands were full, though. Police later found an additional weapon, ammunition, $15,000 cash and about 450 grams of cocaine nearby.
About six hours after fleeing the taxi, and now past midnight into the wee hours of Sept. 17, Cole was spotted and arrested near the highway.
Multiple police witnesses were waiting to testify on what was supposed to be the opening day of a jury trial. The jury pool had been contacted in time to know their presence was not required, court heard.
Though an agreed statement of facts read into the court record, Cole’s lawyer, Robert Yasskin, spoke only to confirm his agreement, to say his client wanted a quick resolution to be moved to a federal penitentiary and to arrange for the judge to hear a joint submission on sentencing.
That date was set for July 10, when both sides will seek to have Fraser agree to proposed sentence.
Another, unrelated incident on the night of Cole’s arrest created confusion at the scene when a car approached the barricades police had set up. According to an OPP release that had been issued at the time, that vehicle sped through their investigation area and its occupants fled when after it eventually pulled over.
Canine units were called to locate them. The driver of that vehicle was charged with impaired operation, but it was determined that the subsequent incident was not related to Cole.