Bryce Hoye · CBC News
Sandra Guiboche, 60, who was dubbed the “matriarch” of a large cocaine trafficking operation in Winnipeg, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Guiboche pleaded guilty last fall to conspiring to traffic cocaine, a charge related to her role in leading a pink crack cocaine network operating out of the city’s Point Douglas area.
The trafficking ring was part of Project Matriarch, a major investigation carried out by Winnipeg police, which led to the arrests of over 20 individuals. Guiboche was the central figure in the operation, which involved converting powder cocaine into high-purity crack cocaine. To distinguish her product from others, she branded it with a pink dye.
Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Justice Ken Champagne sentenced Guiboche on Tuesday, highlighting her extensive involvement in the operation. “This was her organization and she ruled it with an iron fist,” Justice Champagne remarked. He emphasized that Guiboche was deeply involved in every aspect of the trafficking network, which resulted in significant harm to the community. The court acknowledged that the sentence could have been harsher had it not been for her age, health issues, and guilty plea.
Guiboche had initially pleaded not guilty and was set to go to trial, but she changed her plea to guilty last fall. The Crown had sought a 10-year sentence, while Guiboche’s defense attorneys had argued for a term of seven to eight years.
The court also heard that Guiboche’s operation had made significant profits, with Winnipeg police estimating earnings of approximately $660,000 over a five-month period. Some of this money was laundered through video lottery terminals (VLTs) at local casinos.
Several of Guiboche’s associates have already been convicted and received sentences ranging up to eight years. As Guiboche was led away in a wheelchair to begin her sentence, supporters in the courtroom reacted emotionally to the judge’s ruling.
The seizure of Guiboche’s home on Lisgar Avenue, part of the Project Matriarch investigation, served as another indication of the severity of the crime. With the significant impact of her actions on both the community and her co-conspirators, the case highlights the dangerous and far-reaching effects of drug trafficking.
Conclusion: Guiboche’s sentence serves as a warning of the long-term consequences of leading organized drug trafficking operations and underscores the importance of dismantling criminal organizations at their core.