by Carol Aun and Vikki Hopes, Abbotsford News
Pot advocate Timothy Felger remains in police custody after being arrested Wednesday night and charged with two counts of possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of trafficking.
The drugs were allegedly being sold out of Felger’s store Das Bhang, located at the corner of Horne Street and North Railway Avenue in downtown Mission.
The store sells convenience items, such as munchies, bongs and glassware, and doubles as a political office for Felger, who plans to run in the upcoming municipal election.
Neighbours have been complaining about the business since it relocated from Abbotsford last summer, and police have visited the store in the past.
Mounties gathered enough evidence in a two-week investigation to support an arrest, said Mission RCMP Sgt. Miriam Dickson.
Felger, 53, made his first court appearance Thursday. His next appearance is March 10 for a bail hearing.
This is Felger’s second set of trafficking charges currently before the courts. He was arrested and charged in May 2009 for allegedly trafficking pot to teens out of his downtown Abbotsford store, Da Kine, on Essendene Avenue.
He next appears on that matter May 5 in B.C. Supreme Court in Chilliwack, along with co-accused Stephan Allingham and Natasha Healy.
The City of Abbotsford cancelled his business licence in the summer of 2009, and Felger continued to operate the location as a “political office.”
He was evicted from the site in June 2010, after his landlord obtained a court order on the grounds that Felger allegedly owed $53,000 in back rent.
Felger then relocated to Mission.
In addition to his drug charges, he was charged with fear of injury/damage by another person for an incident in Mission on Sept. 13. His next court appearance on that matter is June 27 for a trial confirmation hearing.
