out on bail and living separately with their sureties at toronto area homes, watson and kiguru, via zoom, entered guilty pleas on friday before superior court justice paul howard.
while kiguru “participated willingly,” federal drug prosecutor surinder aujla described her role as minor, with watson “the operating mind” behind the trafficking conspiracy. the two, both canadian citizens, got married in march.
originally facing multiple criminal counts, kiguru pleaded guilty to a single count of “laundering the proceeds of crime.” agreeing to a joint submission from the crown and defence, the judge sentenced the mother of two, who had no prior criminal record, to a two-year conditional sentence that includes eight months of house arrest.
watson, who also had no prior record, pleaded guilty to five counts, including importing drugs and possession for the purpose of trafficking, as well as conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and laundering the proceeds of crime. he’ll be sentenced in january, with both the crown and his lawyer, frank retar, telling the star he’s facing a substantial penitentiary term in “double-digit” years.
the detroit side of the ambassador bridge is pictured thursday, nov. 4, 2021.
dan janisse
/
windsor star
the crown described the couple’s crime as deliberate, complex and sophisticated, but it also said the judge should take into consideration as a mitigating factor in sentencing that their guilty pleas showed remorse and saved the court system “significant resources” by not having to proceed to trial.