SASKATOON – Drug trafficking and weapons charges against a man continue to drag out for more than three years in Saskatoon Provincial Court. Rudi Betthel had another appearance on June 10, and it was adjourned to June 13.
Betthel was first arrested in April 2021 during a Saskatoon traffic stop by the Saskatoon Police Service Tactical Support Unit. During the traffic stop police seized a significant amount of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and related drug paraphernalia in the vehicle he was driving. Officers then executed search warrants at homes in Saskatoon and Bjorkdale and seized firearms, methamphetamine, ketamine, hydromorphone and additional drug paraphernalia.
He failed to appear in Saskatoon court in March 2022 and a warrant was issued by the court for his arrest. Less than a month later the RCMP gang unit, RCMP Warrant Enforcement Suppression Team (WEST), and Greenwater RCMP, arrested him Archerwill. At that home, they seized an illegally modified firearm, machete, Tazer, knife, other weapons and ammunition, methamphetamine, LSD, OxyContin and other pills, and a sum of cash.
Betthel has been in jail on remand for more than two years now, since March 2022. This means if he is found guilty and sentenced to prison time 1.5 days will be taken off of his overall sentence for each day he has been on remand. This could mean the difference between serving time in a federal prison or a provincial correctional centre.
