Drug charges not dropped in civil forfeiture case

Drug possession charges have not been dropped against a man at the centre of the first test of Nova Scotia's new Civil Forfeiture Act and Assets Management and Disposition Act.

Earlier this week, a judge in Sydney ruled the province can temporarily pocket $5,725 from a man accused of being a drug dealer, even though he has not been convicted of any drug charges.

The cash was found hidden in the ceiling of John Joseph Reynolds's home in Sydney Mines during a drug raid in February. The province said the 36-year-old man earned the money selling marijuana and hash.

Under the new act, the court does not need to find Reynolds guilty of trafficking in order for the province to keep the money.

Reynolds told the court earlier this week that he is a drywaller and part-time crab fisherman and earned the money through his work.

He had been facing two counts of possession of marijuana, but said those charges would be dropped because someone else had pleaded guilty to owning the drugs.

On Tuesday, the Crown told CBC News it would not be dropping the charges after all.

Another man, Michael Robert Reynolds, has also been charged with trafficking in the case. The 40-year-old man is facing two counts of trafficking and one of possession.

Both men will enter pleas on July 19.