HUNTSVILLE - Nearly $10,000 in cash was seized by police after they arrested a Huntsville woman found with drugs and a large quantity of weapons.
Christine Morris was given a sentence of 31 days in jail and a $500 fine after appearing in Bracebridge court on Tuesday, Sept. 18, where she answered to a number of drug and firearms related charges. Authorities had believed she was part of an alleged drug trafficking operation.
Police first arrested Morris on the afternoon of Aug. 23, after Huntsville OPP officers executed a search warrant on a Duncan Street address that she had been renting since 2011. Morris was arrested along with two men after police found a quantity of drugs, including marijuana and Fentanyl, inside the home and inside a car.
Officers also recovered a large cache of weapons, including a Second World War-era .303 Lee Enfield rifle, two shotguns, a machete and a number of knives. Morris did not have a licence for the guns.
Police also found cellphones, two wallets with about $700 in cash each, and drug paraphernalia. A chainsaw and a bat were also discovered.
Morris was later released from police custody, but was ordered by a judge to live with a surety as part of her recognizance.
Although she was supposed to be with her surety at 9 p.m. that day, Crown attorney Margaret Janzen said police found Morris driving around in Huntsville at around 9:48 p.m. about two weeks later on Sept. 4.
Police pulled her over for speeding, but ended up putting handcuffs on Morris when they realized she was breaching the terms of her recognizance.
Upon searching the car, officers found about $9,700 tucked into the spare tire storage compartment, bundled into nine packages of about $1,000 each.
Morris’s attorney John Sharkey said jail time leaves his client in a tough position.
“She’s indicated to me she’s in jeopardy of losing her home,” he said.
He also said Morris has not claimed ownership of the money.
The court heard of Morris’s previous criminal record, which includes prior appearances in court for drug possession and breach of court orders.
Morris had nothing to say when asked to speak prior to sentencing by Judge J.D. Evans.
On top of jail time and the fine, Evans ordered Morris to submit a sample of her DNA to the Bracebridge OPP detachment.