Man in Witness Protection Program Tells Jury in Edmonton Murder Trial He Lived in Fear

BY TONY BLAIS

A drug dealer in the witness protection program told an Edmonton jury Monday an accused killer sent violent messages after $160,000 worth of crack cocaine went missing.

Testifying at the first-degree murder trial of alleged White Boy Posse leader Josh Petrin, Jordan St. Amant told jurors he had been sent from Lloydminster to Inuvik with the drugs, but lost them after hiding them in a forest just outside the northern town.

St. Amant testified he went back to find the cocaine after a heavy snowfall. He was unable to find it after searching for days. He said he told Petrin about it via an encrypted BlackBerry messaging program and then “hell started breaking loose” and he began to get “death threats.”

St. Amant told the jury he messaged Petrin, who used the online handle “usual suspect,” that he believed the man who drove him to Inuvik, Bob Roth Sr., had stolen the drugs and he wanted to kill him. He said he was told he was still on the hook for the loss.

Copies of the encrypted messages were given to the jury.

In one message, “usual suspect” says: “U think I give a f–k about a driver being dead? I want his whole family dead and I want my f–king unit before anything!!!”

In a second message, “usual suspect” says: “OK we’re going to torture this goof for days and get the f–king s–t out of him.”

Not long after, a “freaked out” and “scared” St. Amant said he went to police and ended up in the federal witness protection program.

Under cross-examination, St. Amant said that after being with police investigators, he assumed Roth Sr. was dead. He said he learned that the RCMP had seized the missing crack cocaine.

In an opening statement from the Crown, the jurors were told Petrin wanted Roth “bumped off” over the missing drugs and a gang affiliate named Nikolas Nowytzkyj had been sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty to manslaughter in connection with his killing.

Also in cross-examination, St. Amant admitted he didn’t see Petrin send the “usual suspect” messages and can’t say for sure it was him.

Petrin is on trial for the Sept. 25, 2012, slaying of drug dealer Bryan Gower. The jury has heard Gower was shot dead after two armed gang affiliates ambushed him during a supposed drug deal outside Lloydminster.

Source:  Edmonton Sun