Family arrested in drug bust

Beulah Eileen Hogan, 59, Gordon Francis Hogan, 62, and their son Corey Gordon Hogan, 33, were charged with three counts of possessing a controlled substance for the purposes of trafficking.

The elder Hogans appeared in Gander Provincial Court on Aug. 4, and were each released on bail, this despite the objections of the prosecution.

Corey Hogan, who also faces nine charges for failing to comply with undertakings from previous court appearances, was not released. As of The Beacon’s deadline, he was scheduled to make his next appearance in court on Aug. 10.

Gordon and Beulah Hogan are scheduled to appear in court again on Sept. 28.

In the RCMP’s search of the Hogan’s home, a quantity of ecstasy, cocaine, and marijuana was found, along with $11,000 in cash. The police also took cellphones as evidence.

Sgt. Roger Flynn, head of the Gander Drug Section, said the arrested parties had been known to them.

“Our objective is to disrupt groups like this,” he said. “Anytime you can take their drugs is one thing. When you can take their cash, it’s another thing.”

The discovery of cocaine jives with what Sgt. Flynn has witnessed as a rise in the drug’s popularity locally.

“Whenever you disrupt one group, it has been my experience there’s another one waiting in the wings.” - Sgt. Roger Flynn

“I remember as little as 10 years ago, anytime you ceased cocaine, it was noteworthy. Nowadays, coke is the norm. It just seems to be a drug of choice now we see on a regular basis.”

He said the drug’s increasing popularity could be linked to the province’s economic prosperity.

“We’ve got people coming and going from the province everyday,” said Sgt. Flynn. “Some of these more what we’ll call ‘hardcore’ drugs are readily available on the mainland, and it was only a matter of time before they hit here.

“We turn on the news every night at supper time, and quite often you hear ‘St. John’s, St. John’s, St. John’s.’ They have their share of drug issues as well, but I think what gets lost in the big picture is that some of these smaller communities have issues as well – not to say Gander is overridden with drugs and drug dealers, we’re certainly not. Gander is a middle-class town, and everyone makes a decent wage here. No doubt, hardcore drugs are here.”