An Abbotsford man at the centre of an eyebrow-raising drug trafficking case has been acquitted on seven of eight charges.
Brian MacDonald was facing eight counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, on evidence collected in a November 2017 raid in which police seized two kg of drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Court records showed that he was found guilty on the eighth count, a lesser charge of possession of a controlled substance.
WATCH: Abbotsford cop who stashed cash in sock may have compromised drug trafficking trial
When the case came to trial, video from a secret camera in MacDonald’s house revealed an Abbotsford police officer involved in the raid picking up cash and stuffing it into his sock.
In court, the officer — a veteran of the force since 2005, and of Abbotsford’s drug squad since 2016 — admitted to taking the cash, which he claimed was a practical joke.
WATCH: New video of police officer allegedly stealing drug money
While the officer said he put the money back, he couldn’t say how much money he’d put in his sock.
He also wasn’t clear about when he returned the cash — whether he did that while he was in the house, or while he was logging evidence.
He also told the court he was the last officer to leave the house, and that he’d never told anyone about the “joke.”
The staff sergeant who ran the raid also admitted under cross-examination that MacDonald had never been served with a search warrant.
An external investigation by the RCMP was launched into the actions of the officer observed in the video, who was placed on administrative duty.
Global News has requested comment from the Abbotsford police.
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