Yellowknife man arrested in Operation Gunship pleads guilty

A 58-year-old man charged in a 2005 police crackdown on Yellowknife's cocaine trade pleaded guilty Friday to charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and tax evasion.

Ken Wong, who was arrested in October 2005 as part of the RCMP's Operation Gunship investigation, pleaded guilty in a Yellowknife court to conspiring to traffic in cocaine, money laundering and tax evasion.

Wong's lawyer and the Crown jointly recommended a five-year jail sentence and about $500,000 in fines. A judge will sentence Wong on July 17.

Operation Gunship was an 18-month RCMP investigation that targeted Yellowknife's high-level cocaine trade. About 20 people were arrested when police raided three businesses and four residences on Oct. 13, 2005.

The Crown estimates that Wong made $400,000 in profit selling cocaine to street dealers and users in 2004 and 2005.

The defence described Wong, who owned the Right Spot bar near downtown Yellowknife, as a hard-working, humble man who was consumed by his own greed. The bar has been closed since his arrest.

Wong, who had been on bail since February 2006, will remain in custody until he is sentenced. It will be his first criminal conviction.