Prison guard set to plead guilty to accepting bribes, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice for a gang

Former correctional officer Jason Lee charged along with gang members for smuggling drugs, weapons into a Fraser Valley institution

(*Edited Feb. 3, 2025 – Lee's lawyer told the court he had received an agreed statement of facts from Crown. He asked to put the matter to Feb. 10, again for an intention to plead guilty – PJH)

A former prison guard at a Correctional Services of Canada institution in Agassiz is scheduled to plead guilty to all nine charges he faces in connection with a drug smuggling operation at the jail uncovered in 2023.

Jason Kenneth Lee, 38, was in provincial court in Chilliwack on Friday (Jan. 17, 2025) scheduled to elect whether he be tried by a judge or a jury, but instead he is now set to plead guilty on Feb. 10.

Lee was arrested Aug. 28, 2024, and charged with the following nine offences:
• obstruction of justice as part of a criminal organization
• conspiracy to obstruct justice
• conspiracy to commit the indictable offence of trafficking in a controlled substance
• obstruction of justice
• accepting a bribe as a peace officer
• breach of trust by a public officer
• trafficking in a controlled substance as part of a criminal organization
• possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking; and
• conspiracy to commit the indictable offence of bribery.

The three co-accused on the file are connected to Lower Mainland gangs, namely, Mark Majcher, Lucas Thiessen and Jeffrey Tkatchuk.

The arrests were the result of an investigation RCMP say was a collaboration between the Chilliwack RCMP drug section and the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). Officers discovered evidence consistent with a correctional officer smuggling contraband, including drugs, weapons and cellphones, to inmates within an institution in the Fraser Valley.

Police did not name the institution, however, the location of the offence on the file is Agassiz, which is where Kent Institution and Mountain Institution are located. Kent is the the only maximum security federal penitentiary in the CSC's Pacific region. Mountain is a medium security institution right next to Kent.

On Sept. 21, 2023, search warrants were executed at several locations in Chilliwack resulting in the seizure of a large amount of Canadian currency, illicit substances and illegal contraband. Majcher, Thiessen and Tkatchuk were each charged with five counts:
• obstruction of justice as part of a criminal organization
• conspiracy to obstruct justice
• conspiracy to bribe a peace officer
• conspiracy to commit the indictable offence of trafficking in a controlled substance; and
• obstruction of justice.

Tkatchuk is also facing a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Lee had been out on bail and remains out until his next appearance to plead guilty on all nine counts he faces on Feb. 3.

A known gang member, Thiessen remains in custody. He last appeared in court via video on Jan. 10 and he is next due in court Jan. 28.

In 2018, Thiessen was sentenced to 8.75 years in jail for possession for the purpose of trafficking, two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, and two counts of possession of a prohibited firearm. The details of the case have not yet come out in court, but presumably Thiessen was serving that sentence when the attempted smuggling contraband into jail took place.

• MORE: Drug dealing gang member sentenced to nearly 9 years jail

Majcher's name is no longer on the file, according to Court Services Online. He was, however, named on the daily court list for Jan. 17, and scheduled to be sentenced for the four charges. Majcher is also detained on this file, but was also in court Jan. 17 facing one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking and one of trafficking in a controlled substance for a separate file with offence dates listed as July 17 and 18, 2024, in Chilliwack.

Tkatchuk's name is listed on the aforementioned file but he has had no court appearances in this case, according to Court Service Online. The Saskatoon Police Service posted his image on its social media channels on Nov. 20, 2024, saying that he was wanted on a Canadawide warrant.

"This was a complex investigation that the Chilliwack RCMP Drug Section was able to advance through meticulous police work," said Cpl. Carmen Kiener of the Chilliwack RCMP in an Aug. 28, 2024 news release. "Throughout the investigative process, Canada Correctional Services was an integral partner in ensuring a comprehensive and quality investigation was completed." 

-30-

Paul J. Henderson
pauljhenderson@gmail.com
facebook.com/PaulJHendersonJournalist
instagram.com/wordsarehard_pjh
x.com/PeeJayAitch
wordsarehard-pjh.bsky.social