B.C. Realtor who trafficked drugs ‘solely for financial gain’ sentenced to 18 months in jail

The provincial courthouse in Kelowna is seen in this file photo. (shutterstock.com)

A B.C. Realtor who owned multiple properties and started selling drugs when he faced “financial stressors” has been sentenced to 18 months in jail, according to a recently published court decision.

James Kevin Adams was found guilty of three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking after a trial by jury, and was sentenced last month in Kelowna.

Adams was charged after police executed a search warrant at his home and found nearly 37 grams of cocaine, roughly 35 grams of MDMA and over 150 grams of psilocybin, according to the decision.

The search also yielded “cash, scoresheets, digital scales, empty baggies and other indicia of trafficking,” Justice Steven Wilson wrote in his reasons for sentence, later describing the evidence as consistent with a “dial-a-dope operation.”

The court heard Adams was in his 50s at the time of the offences and had no criminal record. Crown was asking for a sentence of 18 months in custody while defence asked the court for the sentence to be served in the community—arguing Adams was excessively using cannabis and alcohol to cope with stress and that his relationship with his girlfriend and co-accused “was also a negative factor resulting in a party lifestyle contributing to substance use and bad habits.”

Wilson found there were multiple aggravating factors at play in the case including that the drug trafficking was ongoing and organized, and the impact of drug crime on the communities in which it occurs.

He also found a “stark absence” of mitigating factors, which led him to conclude Adams’ crimes warranted time in jail.

“Mr. Adams chose to engage in drug trafficking solely for financial gain and there is nothing in his background that would suggest any reduced moral culpability. To the contrary, he was a successful Realtor and was capable of and did earn a legitimate income and was also a real estate investor,” the judge wrote.

“Financial stressors that accompany that type of investment can generally be alleviated by selling properties as opposed to resorting to illegal activities and putting the community at risk.”

In addition to jail time, Adams will be subject to a firearms prohibition for 10 years and required to comply with a DNA order.