No-show trucker gets 15 years in $7.5M Sarnia drug

A Brampton truck driver found guilty of smuggling $7.5 million worth of drugs into Canada over the Blue Water Bridge has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

But Charanpreet Singh, 29, isn’t behind bars because he allegedly cut off his GPS tracker while out on bail and fled Canada days before he was to be sentenced at the Sarnia courthouse, sources say.

Stephane Marinier, a veteran prosecutor who handled this case, said it’s uncommon for an accused person to flee the jurisdiction before sentencing.

“Most have sufficiently deep roots, but it does happen on occasion,” he said by email Wednesday.

Following a two-week trial last year, Superior Court Justice George King convicted Singh in February of importing 55 kilograms of cocaine and five kilograms of heroin over the Sarnia-area bridge on April 8, 2022. He also convicted him of possessing those drugs for trafficking.

Court records show there was an argument in February about potentially revoking bail – Singh was freed on $55,000 bail about two weeks after the drugs were discovered – but he was permitted to stay out of custody until his sentencing hearing.

That was set for June 24. But four days before his court date, on June 20, Singh allegedly removed his ankle bracelet.

Peel Regional police tried to find him, but when they couldn’t they obtained a warrant for his arrest.

“There is an active warrant out for his arrest in relation to him not appearing in court and removing his ankle monitor,” a Peel Regional police spokesperson said by email Wednesday.

They referred further inquiries to the RCMP. The Mounties did not immediately respond to a request for information Wednesday.

Singh’s lawyer, Harval Bassi, also didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The June 24 sentencing hearing went ahead in Singh’s absence, with King imposing the 15-year sentence. “Bail estreated. Matter is concluded,” a court document from that day says.

“The Crown will be seeking the full estreat of the monies deposited and pledged by his sureties to secure his release at the time of his bail hearing and subsequent variations,” Marinier said by email.

In April 2022, Singh’s sister pledged $50,000 and paid a $5,000 deposit. Singh also pledged $5,000.

Singh was supposed to live at his sister’s Brampton home under strict house arrest with GPS tracking and he couldn’t leave Ontario or renew or get a replacement passport for the one seized by border officers. It’s unclear how he was able to flee the country without a passport or where he is believed to be now.

Singh had the help of Punjabi interpreters throughout his various court appearances.

At trial, Marinier’s theory was the drugs initially were loaded on a different truck in California, driven across the U.S. to Indiana and transferred to Singh’s truck at a TA Travel Center in Lake Station, Ind. This was done to minimize potential Canada Border Services Agency interest as Singh’s truck had spent little more than a day in the U.S. and hadn’t been anywhere near California, he argued.

But Marinier added he didn’t have to prove that’s what actually happened. To prove Singh’s guilt, all he had to do was establish the drugs were in his possession by proving beyond a reasonable doubt he had both knowledge and control of them, he said.

Bassi countered there was no video of what happened in Indiana and no evidence showing where his client was at the time, such as whether he stayed in the cab or got out.

This was one of six major tractor trailer drug busts on the Canadian side of the Blue Water Bridge in 2022.