Cochrane RCMP made a significant seizure of drugs and weapons following a traffic stop on Stoney Nakoda First Nation.
At around 5 a.m. on Jan. 8, Stoney Nakoda RCMP conducted a traffic stop on a GMC Yukon on the Nation. At the time, officers observed a quantity of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia, which eventually led to arrest of all three occupants.
A search of the vehicle resulted in the location of:
- Evidence of fentanyl drug trafficking
- A 3D Printer
- 3D printed firearms parts
- Evidence linking the occupants to a recent break and enter in Cochrane
44-year-old Calgary resident Steven Matthew Hewitt was charged with:
- Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking;
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
- Possession of Ammunition while Prohibited
- Possession of a Firearm while Prohibited
- Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
- Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose
- Fail to Comply with a Probation Order (x3)
After a Judicial Interim Release Hearing, Hewitt was remanded into custody and will appear in Cochrane’s Alberta Court of Justice on Jan. 9, 2025.
Another Calgary resident, 25-year-old Christopher Hooge, was charged with:
- Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
- Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
- Possession of Ammunition while Prohibited
- Possession of a Firearm while Prohibited
- Fail to Comply with a Release Order (x6)
Following an Interim release hearing, Hooge was released from custody and will appear in Cochrane’s Alberta Court of Justice on Jan. 21, 2025.
And 24-year-old Airdrie Resident, Savanna Ritcher, was charged with:
- Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
After a Judicial interim Release Hearing, Ritcher was released from custody and will appear in Cochrane’s Alberta Court of Justice on Feb. 4, 2025.
Inspector Dave Brunner of Cochrane RCMP outlined that they will continue to work with all police jurisdictions to solve crimes being committed in the rural areas surrounding Calgary.
Information sharing is extremely important and we have great relationships with our neighbouring police agencies,” Brunner said. “We will continue to work diligently to keep our communities safe.”
