J-Tornado trial Crown prosecutor questions witness credibility

Self-confessed cocaine dealer John "BJ" Trecartin sparred with Crown prosecutor Nicole Poirier over his memory and credibilityTuesday as he continued testifying in the long-running drug trial of Shane Williams and Joshua Kindred.

"Is it fair to say you remember things that are convenient to you and do not remember things that are not convenient?" asked Poirier as she pressed Trecartin for details on specific drug deals.

"I'm remembering to the best of my ability," said Trecartin.

Williams, 34 and Kindred, 39, have been on trial for various drug possession, trafficking and conspiracy charges for the past 10 weeks.

They were among 28 arrested by police in 2014 as part of Operation J-Tornado, a three-year long investigation into drug trafficking in New Brunswick.

The investigation depended heavily on evidence gathered by a Saint John businessman, and former friend of Williams, who police agreed to pay nearly $600,000 for six months work on the case and his eventual courtroom testimony.

His identity is protected by a publication ban.

Trecartin entered the witness box on Monday for the defence, claiming he sold a large amount of cocaine himself and was supplied by the businessman, who is the Crown's key witness against Williams and Kindred.

Story changes

But first thing Tuesday morning Trecartin told court he had been mistaken Monday when he told court he last bought cocaine from the man in April 2015. It was really August 2014.

"I had time to process it overnight. I want to give evidence as best I can," he said.

Poirier suggested Trecartin found out the businessman was out of the country in 2015 while riding back to the jail Monday night in the same sheriff's van with Kindred and Williams.

No, said Trecartin, it was just a faulty memory on his part.

"I didn't keep a journal. I'm giving you the best I've got," he said. "Can you remember 15 years ago where you were and what you were wearing? I don't think so."

Couldn't remember details

Poirier asked for specific details on the transactions he had with the man, including places and dates, but Trecartin said there were so many it was beyond him to place each one.

"In one year I sold over 50 keys [kilos], are you kidding me?" said Trecartin. "You're asking for a needle in a haystack. You're asking for information that's almost impossible to remember."

"The truth is not hard to remember," replied Poirier.

Trecartin got more vague as the day wore on, saying he could remember almost nothing about a trip he said he took to Ontario in 2014, including why he went or how he got there.

Won't name others in drug business

Trecartin also refused to answer any questions about who he sold cocaine to or who else he worked with in the drug business, even after being directed to by Justice William Grant.

"I'm not going to name anyone else in this," he said "Yourrat brought me into this. I'm not doing that to others. Let's call him John Smith."

Poirier attacked Trecartin's credibility,citing 40 convictions, mostly for motor vehicle offences, off-and-on stretches in jail, and current charges he's facing for assault and threats involving a woman.

'I'm not a saint'

Trecartin denied the current allegations against him and dismissed the rest as history.

"You might be shocked by it but I'm not," he said. "I'm not a saint. I've been in trouble before."

Following Trecartin,the Crown called what is expected to be its final witness in the trial, RCMP Cst. Francois Chartrand.

Heintercepted emails between J-Tornado suspects as they came in in 2014 and is expected to conclude the Crown's case sometime Wednesday by trying to tie Williams and Kindred to their suspected email code names,"ferrarigang" and "hummertime."