The assistant coach of a Nanaimo minor football league is facing charges for allegedly selling drugs during a practice.
Levar Anthony Hayden has been charged with six counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
The president of the South-Side Minor Football Association confirmed the 30 year old was arrested Thursday night after football practice at John Barsby School.
He says the club is destroyed by the news.
"He was on a field with 70, 80 people around and walked off field, in the middle of practice and did what he did,” said Rob Stevenson. “No one ever seen that or suspected that if we had it would have ended pronto right and reported to the police.”
Hayden worked with children between the ages of nine and 12 years old. Stevenson says he was never alone with the kids.
“Just speaking for myself, I’m glad he got caught,” he added. “That’s one less crook on the street.”
According to the club’s president, a background check on Hayden was completed and it came back clean.
Mounties aren’t linking Hayden to the football club, but say he is facing drug-related charges.
"He was arrested at a sporting field at John Barsby school, not related to the school, it was after hours around 7 p.m.,” said Const. Gary O’Brien. “The arrest led then to a search on a house and they seized a quantity of meth, GHB, cocaine, fentanyl and a switchblade which is a prohibited weapon."
A 40-year-old woman was also arrested. She was released a short time later.
Hayden has been released from custody. His next court appearance is set for Oct. 26.
