A warrant is out for the arrest of a man charged with trafficking heroin laced with fentanyl after he failed to appear in Revelstoke court on Wednesday.
Kelly Mitchell Hanson Loeppky is charged with three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin laced with fentanyl. He is also facing charges for breach of undertaking.
He was arrested in Vernon on Feb. 12, 2016, and first appeared in court there. The initial court documents said he was only charged with trafficking heroin, but in March, a new charge saying the heroin contained fentanyl was added.
Loeppky’s case was waived to Revelstoke for an intended guilty plea.
(The Crown counsel policy manual says that a hearing can only change locations if the accused intends to plead guilty.)
Loepkky made an appearance at the Revelstoke courthouse in May but his plea was adjourned until June and again until July, when he was a no-show for court.
Lawyer Chris Johnston was representing Loepkky but in court on July 5 he said he hadn’t heard from his client in a month and was applying to be removed as his designated counsel.
Federal prosecutor Anthony Varesi told the court that he had just approved new charges against Loeppky for breach of probation. Court records indicate the charges were laid on June 27 for an offence that took place in Salmon Arm in May.
Varesi told the Review that Loepkky hadn’t reported to his bail supervisor since March.
