3 Vancouver-area men sentenced for drug, weapons crimes in Whitehorse

Three men linked to a British Columbia-basedgang were sentenced for drug- and weapons-related offences in Yukon Territorial Court this week.

BradleyProwal,27, recieved three years for trafficking cocaine,Taylor Wallace, 24, got six months for careless storage of a firearm, andJeffrey Redick, 35, was sentenced to three and a halfyears for cocaine trafficking, and firearm violations.

All three are from theLangleyarea outside Vancouver.

The men were arrested in March, 2015,after theRCMPcarried out what was described as two "high risk" vehicle stops in Whitehorse, almost a year ago.

About a dozen people were charged as part of theRCMP'sOperation Monarch. During that operation, police seized three rifles, four handguns, a bayonet, ecstasy, cocaine, cash and t-shirts bearing the number 856, the local telephone exchange for Langley.

The three men sentenced this week are connected to the 856 gang.RCMPwent so far as to obtain warrants to look inside their mouths for 856 tattoos. Wallace was found to have all three numbers tattooed on his inner lip, while Prowal had two and Redick one.

According to media reports, gang members with all three numbers are high-ranking members.

In handing down his sentence,Judge Donald Luther said the menhad only come to Yukon to deal drugs and harmcommunities.

He describedtheir actions as "arrogant and opportunistic" and said he hopes their convictions will deter others.