Guilty Plea in 2023 Flats Drug House Bust

Items seized during a November 2023 drug bust at a North Flats home. (Image courtesy of ALERT)

A woman facing multiple charges in relation to a bust of a North Flats drug house in 2023 entered a guilty plea to possession for the purposes of trafficking meth on Tuesday at Medicine Hat’s Court of Justice.

Tammie Dawn Melnik,40, received a two-year community sentence on the trafficking-related offence involving 35 grams of methamphetamine.

Melnik was part of a trio charged in relation to an Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) drug bust on Nov. 14, 2023.

The court heard ALERT members acting on confidential source information were able to identify the Flats neighbourhood home along with known elements of the Hat’s drug culture frequenting the house.

Following observations of activity consistent with the local drug trade, ALERT was able to obtain a warrant for the home.

Melnik was one of three individuals charged at the time, according to an ALERT release in 2023, with the court hearing there were up to eight individuals calling the house in question home.

According to the ALERT release, a total of 126 grams of fentanyl as well as a total of 43 grams of meth were seized along with jewelry, e-bikes believed to be stolen.

Two conductive energy devices were seized, according to ALERT, while the court heard a switchblade was found in Melnick’s room.

In addition to the drug charges, Melnick was facing 10 charges relating to possession of identity documents as well as possession of fentanyl for the purposes of trafficking. Those charges were withdrawn.

The Crown was questioned by Justice Mark Mastel as to how a community sentence was arrived at over a custodial sentence.

The response included the fact there was a guilty plea, there were some prosecutorial issues with the case and possible challenges prosecuting the file in a speedy fashion in accordance with Supreme Court doctrine.

The court also heard Melnick had a limited and dated record and had come into the local drug milieu late in life.

The 40-year-old former bookkeeper will be required to maintain a nightly curfew with exceptions for work, present herself for checks she’s abiding by the curfew, have no illegal drugs or weapons and only have one cellphone.

She will also be required to do 100 hours of community service and has a weapons possession ban.