J-Tornado suspect couldn't find cocaine to sell, court hears

Police attempts to record suspected Saint John drug ring leader Shane Williams making cocaine deals in June 2014 ran into early problems when it turned out he had no cocaine to sell, courtheard on Thursday.

"Not today," Williamsmessaged his friend, who was secretly working for police and trying to set up a purchase.

That once-close friend, a former Saint John restaurant owner,whose identity is protected by a publication ban, continued to give evidence Thursday against both Williams and co-accused Joshua Kindred, who are on trial in Court of Queen's Bench.

The pair face a variety of drug possession, drug trafficking and conspiracy charges and were among 28 arrested two years ago as part of an interprovincial police drug investigation called Operation J-Tornado.

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The trial has heard how police considered Williams to be in charge of a sophisticated drug ring in Saint John and one of the key objectives for J-Tornado in the city was to catch Williams on tape while making a drug deal.

In early June 2014, police assigned Williams's friend, to whom they had promised up to $600,000 to help in the investigation, to place an order for fourounces of pure cocaine and covertly record the transaction when it occurred.

But the purchase proved difficult with Williams unable to fill the $8,000 order for several days.

The friend persisted at police urging, but with secret microphones recording their conversations, Williams repeatedly said he had nothing to sell and did not know when he would.

He did offer to try and find his friend some pure cocaine from another supplier,but came up empty there too.

Three days after first trying to make a purchase, the friend continued to pressure Williams to come through in a series of emails, intercepted by the RCMP and shown in court.

Friend:3:44p.m."So does he have it?"

Williams: "Duno (sic) I'll let you know."

Friend:6:58p.m."What's up did you talk to him?"

Friend:7:20p.m."What's up?"

Williams:"Not today."

The sale did eventually take place more than a week after the order was made, the court heard,but the delay echoes defence claims made last week that Williams was not as big a player as police allege.

In court on Thursday, the Crown attempted to show Williams was having supplier problems in June 2014not that he was too small-time to fill his friend's order.

Prosecutor Melanie Ferron showed emails and played audio tapes where Williams complains about problems with getting product and asks his friend to use his underworld connections to find a new supply of cocaine from Montreal.

"Concentrate on your buddy," Williams tells him in one recording in reference to a new supplier the friend says he knows.

"U get ahold of your guy yet?" he writes in another message."I need someone that is quiet. These guys (current suppliers) have a bunch of heat on them and I don't need it around me."

The secret police agent is scheduled to continue his testimony on Friday at 9:30 a.m.