Andre Gravelle sentencing put over until November

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Sentencing for the man considered the kingpin of one of Hamilton’s most notorious crime families, has been put over until November. Donna Skelly was at the Sopinka Courthouse today where Andre Gravelle and two co-accused were to be sentenced in a drug trafficking plot.

It was originally described by police as a major organized crime takedown, an attempt to subvert Canada’s medical marijuana laws. 40 charges were laid against 12 people in the plot that spanned Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

The mastermind of the scheme , 51 year old Andre Gravelle of Hamilton, faced five charges. But only one stuck, and in August, Gravelle was found guilty of trafficking marijuana.

Gravelles older brother Daniel, who was also charged , died awaiting trial. His neice, 43 year old Ruth Ann Finlayson, who was raised as his sister, was acquitted of misleading police. Two others, 57 year old Ronald Welch and 41 year old Brad Huffman, were found guilty of consipiring to traffic marijuana and canabis resin.

Gravelle, Welch and Huffman were to be sentenced in Hamilton today but their cases were adjourned to November due to a conflict of schedules.

Andre Gravelle, considered the kingpin of the Gravelle crime family, has a lengthy criminal record. He served four years in a Miami prison for drug trafficking and was charged in 2005 with first degree murder in the deaths of Ancaster lawyer Lynn Gilbank and her husband Fred. Those charges were later dropped.

Gravelle also served three years for his role in a 15 million dollar drug trafficking bust in 2008 in Nova Scotia.

Earlier this year Hamilton Police were ordered to pay Gravelle 10 thousand dollars for court costs when they attempted to change the location of a civil case.

Gravelle and his co- accused will be back in court, November 6th for sentencing.