A man charged with a drug crime in Deline last summer has been sentenced to two years behind bars. 

Billy John McNeely, of Yellowknife, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine) based on an Aug. 22, 2024, incident where he was arrested at the Deline Airport after police received a tip that he was inbound and had warrants for his arrest. After he was apprehended, the RCMP found approximately 77 grams of crack-cocaine in his possession.

On March 31, McNeely was sentenced in court to two years plus one day in custody. He's prohibited from having firearms for 10 years and he was ordered to submit a DNA sample to the National DNA Databank.
 
鈥淭his conviction represents a positive outcome to this investigation, sending a strong message to others involved in or considering drug trafficking in our 快盈v3 communities," stated RCMP Cpl. Charles Bond, detachment commander in Deline. "The Deline RCMP will continue to work to reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs in the community and encourage residents to share any information they may have on such matters to police.鈥�