Men accused of selling deadly fentanyl-laced cocaine released on bail due to COVID-19 concerns in jail

Two men charged with manslaughter and drug trafficking are getting released on bail because of concerns about potential COVID-19 exposure in provincial jails, the lawyer for one of the men says.

"I can indicate that both the federal and provincial Crown have been working very hard at reassessing cases," said defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle.

"This was a case where it was felt that by all parties that, not only should we give the parties here a chance to adjourn the case into the summer, but that we would also release these accused persons on reasonable conditions so that they can be in the community and not be subject to the overcrowding of the institutional setting,"

Pfefferle represents Shervin Beeharry who, along with Japmanjot Grewal, is facing a variety of charges in connection to a wave of fatal overdoses in Saskatoon.

Beeharry and Grewal are accused of selling fentanyl-laced cocaine that contributed to four overdose deaths in Saskatoon on a single weekend in March 2018

The decision to release Beeharry and Grewal happened Tuesday at Court of Queen's Bench in Saskatoon. Both men were in custody at the Regina Correctional Centre.

• Trial begins for 2 men charged in fatal fentanyl-laced cocaine case in Saskatoon

Pfefferle said federal and provincial prosecutors are working behind the scenes to manage concerns over COVID-19 in the prison system.

"We've got guards that are in high-risk categories, we've got offenders and remanded prisoners that may have health issues, and what could happen in an institutional setting is a micro version of what could happen in society," he said.

"I expect that we will see a number of different applications for release on reasonable conditions."

The province said yesterday it's exploring ways to manage the jail population, but an official said that there are no plans to release offenders from the provincial centres at this time.