Man on trial for allegedly selling drugs in Esgenopetitj faces 7 new charges

A Fredericton man on trial for allegedly selling drugs in Esgenopetitj First Nation is now facing several new charges, including trafficking in fentanyl and criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

Jesse Joe, 35, was in Miramichiprovincial court on Wednesday for the first day of his trial on charges oftrafficking in a controlled substance and breach of probation in connection with a pill containing fentanyl that was found on the reserve in April.

But the court heard he will face a bail hearing on Aug. 30 on three additional counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, one count of trafficking in fentanyl, as well as criminal negligence causing bodily harm, obstruction of justice and breach of probation.

Crown prosecutorCarolineLirettedeclined to comment on whether those charges are directly linked to the death of a woman in the First Nation community from a suspected fentanyl overdose on April 11.

• Man charged in connection with fentanyl at Esgenopetitj denied bail
• 1 man charged, another arrested in connection with fentanyl at Esgenopetitj

Ann Marie Lambert, 35, the mother of a young son, diedbefore paramedics could get her to a hospital.

RCMPhave previously said they were awaiting toxicology results in her death.

Joe's trial, which resumes Thursday morning and continueson Aug. 30 and 31,is not related to Lambert's death.

When police laid theinitialtwo charges against Joe, they said several people from EsgenopetitjFirstNationhad been hospitalizedfor suspected overdoses offentanyl, a powerful prescription painkiller.

The courtheard Wednesday from a witness who says he bought and consumed some pills from the accused on April 11, the same night as the fatal overdose in the community, east of Miramichi.

Ethan Mitchelltestifiedhe purchased nine round, blue pills marked "Percocet" for $60 from Joe.

After the transaction, Mitchell, 21, saidhe went home, consumed half of one the pills and gave three of them to his cousin.

Before long, he heard a loud noise, he said. His cousin, Victor Lambert, had fallen face-first on a table.

I was scared I was going to overdose [too]. But I just shrugged it off.- Ethan Mitchell, witness

Lambert, 56, had overdosed but survived after paramedics administeredNarcan, the courtroom heard.

"I was scared I was going to overdose [too]," testified Mitchell, who described having blurred vision and a racing heart. "But I just shrugged it off."

He had taken Percocet before, but had never experienced those effects, he said, addinghe's been sober since then.

AHealth Canada analysis confirmed ablue pill seized fromthe community after thefatal overdose that same night containedfentanyl.

Health Canada describesfentanylasbeing about 100 times more powerful than morphine.

The analyzed pill measured about one centimetre in diameter and had "Percocet5" written on it, police have said.

'I don't remember anything'

Victor Lambert testified he had asked Mitchell forPercoceton the night in question. He took one and a half of the three pills he gave him at around 2 a.m., he said.

"I don't remember anything after."

Lambert said he was addicted to Percocet at the time and could take up to 20 pills a day.

He had never ended up in the hospital before that night, he saidas Joe looked on from the prisoner's box, showing little emotion.

During cross-examination, Joe's legal aid defence lawyer, Ed Derrah, said Lambert had told people he took additional drugs that day, including crack cocaine and speed, not just the pills from Joe.

"Just a puff" of crack, replied Lambert. He denied having taken any speed that day.

Joehas been in custody since his arrestApril 20. Hewas denied bail on May 17.

A 60-year-old man fromEsgenopetitjFirst Nation, on Miramichi Bay, was also arrested in connection with the case but wasreleased pending a later court appearance.