A Court Martial Acquitted a 49-Year-Old Canadian Military Officer of Three Counts of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking and Convicted Him of Simple Possession of Methamphetamine (November 6, 2026)
A court martial has acquitted Capt. Charles Meyers, 49, a veteran of the Canadian Army’s 5th Field Artillery Regiment, of three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine, and has found him guilty instead of simple possession of methamphetamine, CP24 reported on November 6, 2026. Military Judge Col. Steve Strickey granted an absolute discharge, which CP24 reports leaves him with no criminal record. The charges stem from his arrest on August 4, 2024, on Pandora Avenue in Victoria, after an undercover Victoria police officer testified that she saw what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug transactions, CP24 reports. He was released at the scene.
Legal status: Acquitted of all three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking; found guilty of one count of simple possession of methamphetamine, with an absolute discharge.
The Three Trafficking Counts
The three counts were laid in military court, CP24 reports, and were worded as possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine. A notice from the Chief Military Judge lists a Standing Court Martial for “Meyers C.J.C. (Captain)” in Victoria, British Columbia, on November 3, 2026, on three counts of trafficking under section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, charged under section 130 of the National Defence Act. Col. Strickey acquitted Meyers on all three trafficking counts. According to CP24, the judge found that the prosecution had not proven that Meyers knew about the drugs in the locked glove compartment of the vehicle or that he controlled them, and that another person could have placed them there.
The Methamphetamine in the Driver’s Door
The one finding of guilt rests on a small bag of methamphetamine found in the vehicle’s driver’s door, CP24 reports, and is for simple possession rather than possession for the purpose of trafficking. Police also found suspected drugs in the locked glove compartment, according to CP24, and the evidence was transferred to the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service.
What the Defence Argued About the Evidence
The defence attacked the chain of custody, CP24 reports, saying that evidence packages sent to Health Canada were temporarily lost and that others were rejected for improper packaging, which it argued created reasonable doubt.
The Sentence
CP24 reports that simple possession of methamphetamine carries a maximum of seven years in prison, and that Col. Strickey weighed that against Meyers’s lack of a criminal record and his more than 22 years of service. The prosecution sought a severe reprimand and a $2,000 fine, citing his rank. The defence sought an absolute discharge, noting that he had already lost his military career after being released from the Canadian Armed Forces in June. Col. Strickey agreed with the defence.
The Counts and the Findings
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine: acquitted.
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl: acquitted.
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine: acquitted.
- Simple possession of methamphetamine: guilty; absolute discharge.
- Sentence sought by the prosecution: a severe reprimand and a $2,000 fine.
What CP24 Reports About the Evidence
- Arrest: August 4, 2024, on Pandora Avenue in Victoria, after an undercover Victoria police officer testified that she saw what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug transactions; he was released at the scene.
- Driver’s door: a small bag of methamphetamine, the basis of the finding of guilt.
- Locked glove compartment: suspected drugs; the judge was not satisfied that Meyers knew of them or controlled them.
- Evidence handling: the evidence was transferred to the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service; the defence said packages sent to Health Canada were temporarily lost or rejected for improper packaging.
Timeline
- August 4, 2024Meyers was arrested on Pandora Avenue in Victoria after an undercover Victoria police officer testified that she saw what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug transactions, CP24 reports. He was released at the scene.
- November 3, 2026A Standing Court Martial for “Meyers C.J.C. (Captain)” is listed in Victoria on the Chief Military Judge’s notice of upcoming courts martial, on three counts of trafficking under section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
- November 6, 2026, 2:23 p.m. ESTCP24 reported the three acquittals, the finding of guilt on simple possession of methamphetamine and the absolute discharge.
Presided; acquitted Meyers on the three trafficking counts, found him guilty of simple possession of methamphetamine and granted an absolute discharge.
Sought a severe reprimand and a $2,000 fine, citing Meyers’s rank.
An undercover officer testified that she saw what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug transactions before the August 4, 2024 arrest.
Received the seized evidence, CP24 reports.
Related Files
Sources
- CP24, “Canadian military officer acquitted of fentanyl, cocaine trafficking,” November 6, 2026, 2:23 p.m. EST — for the counts, the findings and the sentence — cp24.com
- Office of the Chief Military Judge, “Upcoming court martial proceedings” (page dated October 27, 2026) — for the listed court martial, date, place and charges — canada.ca
Capt. Charles Meyers was acquitted of all three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and found guilty of one count of simple possession of methamphetamine, for which the military judge granted an absolute discharge. The counts, the findings and the sentence are as reported by CP24 on November 6, 2026.
