A Langley drug dealer underwent a religious conversion after his most recent arrest, a B.C. Supreme Court sentencing has been told.
When RCMP raided the Langley home of Jason William Brown on Nov. 12, 2009, they found a safe bolted to the floor of the walk-in closet of the master bedroom that contained cocaine, crystal meth and a 9 mm. Steyr Mannlicher semiautomatic handgun, along with $7,700 in cash.
The drugs were worth more than $200,000.
The 36-year-old Brown has a Red Scorpions tattoo, but during his trial, the prosecution conceded that was not formal proof of a gang affiliation.
Brown pleaded guilty in April to one count of illegal drug possession and one count of possessing an unloaded restricted firearm.
By then, Brown had undergone a religious conversion while in prison awaiting trial.
A transcript of the October sentencing, published online Tuesday (Nov. 15) recounts the imprisoned Brown’s involvement in “several Christian-based courses” that produced a dramatic change.
“…Mr. Brown has shown a very positive attitude, a willingness to contribute and leadership in the sense of helping other inmates and guiding them to a more constructive path,” said New Westminster B.C. Supreme Court Justice Murray B. Blok.
Brown, the judge said, has committed to doing mission work when he gets out of jail.
It will be another 34 months before Brown gets the chance, however.
Judge Blok said while Brown appears sincere about his conversion, the fact of his lengthy previous record (including convictions for armed robbery, assault and drug possession) along with the substantial amount of illegal drugs involved required substantial prison time.
Blok imposed a six-and-a-half year sentence, then reduced it to reflect the amount of time Brown has already spent in jail, giving him credit of two months for every one month served.
