A once-promising mixed martial arts amateur fighter stood in NWT Supreme Court on Monday afternoon and pleaded guilty to one count of possessing cocaine for the purposes of trafficking.
Todd Vatcher appeared nervous but sincere as he confirmed to Justice Shannon Smallwood he knew the consequences of his guilty plea, which stemmed from an October 9, 2018 charge.
Vatcher was charged with two others in connection with the theft of firearms, ammunition, and jewellery from a Rivett Crescent home over 2018’s Thanksgiving weekend.
The homeowners estimated a loss of $50,000 or more.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Vatcher, then 27, was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and proceeds of crime.
A pre-sentence report was ordered, which should take about six weeks to complete.
Smallwood ordered Vatcher – who is on bail – to return to court on November 9 for a sentencing hearing.
The welterweight Vatcher had a four-win, three-loss record in amateur MMA from 2011 to 2018, industry websites show. He won his ninth fight as part of the undercard at a charity kickboxing event in February at the Chateau Nova Hotel.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Vatcher fought from clubs in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and Yellowknife.
Vatcher has struggled with addiction and has been in trouble with the law in the past. In August 2015, the 24-year old received a time-served sentence for possession of cocaine, breach of court orders, and stealing a 12-gauge shotgun from Canadian Tire. The unloaded gun was found in a crawl space under the home of the mother of Vatcher’s ex-girlfriend.
The crime had been committed along with Beau Desire-Tesar, who pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm.
Then, in September 2015, Vatcher was charged with seven other people following three separate drugs busts in the capital. Police seized cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, cash, and firearms during the raids.
Vatcher was charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of cannabis.
The disposition of those charges wasn’t immediately known.
Yellowknife’s Todd Vatcher, left, in action during a kickboxing event in Yellowknife on February 22, 2020. Ollie Wlliams/Cabin Radio
