Judge acquits man who sold Percocet, ruling drug dealer unaware it contained oxycodone

Shane Peter Leonard, 32, wasacquitted ofa single charge of conspiring to traffic oxycodone.

The decision came down in a St. John's courtroom Monday afternoon.

Judge David Hurleysaid that in order to convict Leonard it had to be proven that Leonard knew Percocetcontained a controlled substance.

Hurleysaid Leonard knew he was selling prescription drugs, but it wasn't established that he knew Percocetcontained a controlled substance.

Leonard, who is believed to have ties with the Vikings motorcycleclub, testified in court in December that he sold the Percocet, but that he didn't think he was breaking the law.

He was prescribed the drugafter a car accident a few years ago, andtold the court he did not know Percocetcontainedoxycodone.

His lawyer, John Lavers, asked for the charge to be dismissed.

Leonard was charged in 2016 as part of Project Bombard, a joint investigation by the RCMP and the RNC, that saw a number ofmen get charged with drug offencesfollowing a raid across the Avalon Peninsula.

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