A former correctional officer has been sentenced to two years in prison for smuggling drugs into a Yukon jail where he worked.
Michael Gaber, 48, was arrested in 2013 after a supervisor at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre searched him based on a tip and found the man carrying a condom filled with 59 Ritalin pills.
Justice Ron Veale of the Supreme Court of Yukon called the case the first of its kind in the territory.
Gaber pleaded not guilty to a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking, but was convicted by Veale in June.
Veale told a sentencing hearing Wednesday that while the search and detainment violated Gaber's charter rights, the breach of trust in him as a correctional officer was the most aggravating factor in the case.
He noted Gaber lost his job and declared bankruptcy last year, separated from his wife, who is still in Whitehorse with the couple's two daughters, and moved to British Columbia to live with his mother.
Veale said Gaber explained he turned to smuggling because he needed money.
Crown lawyer Eric Marcoux had asked for a sentence of 3-1/2 to four years, while defence lawyer Vincent Larochelle called for a term of 18 months.
Gaber was withdrawn as he spoke to Veale before he was sentenced.
"I'm not good at this stuff," he said, before calling the last few years "the worst part of my life."
He was emotional as he said he looks forward to dealing with the sentence and getting on with his life.
"Most of all, I want to say sorry to my friends and family … I'm still the same person I was four years ago."
Veale called the apology heartfelt.
"Good luck to you, Mr. Gaber. And thank you for that apology." (Whitehorse Star)
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