A man from Whitehorse has received an 11-year prison term for drug trafficking and associated offenses. Taylor Duke, aged 23, faced a total of 47 charges spanning from April 30, 2023, to Oct. 8, 2024. He admitted to nine charges, including drug trafficking, assault, arson, and weapons violations.
Duke’s involvement in a shooting on Long Lake Road in Whitehorse in 2023 led to a search of his residence, where authorities discovered numerous firearms along with substantial quantities of cocaine and fentanyl. Court documents revealed Duke’s actions, including setting fire to a residence with someone inside, plotting to ignite a vehicle, and assaulting a fellow inmate at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre.
Described as a “mid-level dealer” in a significant drug trafficking network by Yukon Territorial Court Judge Elaine Cairns, Duke was perceived as an enforcer, as evidenced by the arsenal found in his home during the search. Despite the gravity and diversity of the charges, Cairns considered the 11-year sentence relatively lenient.
Cairns highlighted aggravating factors in Duke’s case, particularly his involvement in trafficking fentanyl and the detrimental effects of overdoses on Yukon communities. While acknowledging the misery caused by fentanyl trafficking, Cairns expressed a desire not to impede Duke’s prospects for rehabilitation and societal reintegration. Duke’s previously clean record and the influence of intergenerational trauma on his life were noted as mitigating factors during the sentencing.
After factoring in time already served, Duke has approximately nine-and-a-half years left on his sentence and is subject to a lifetime ban on possessing firearms. Earlier this year, Duke was sentenced for his role in a scheme to smuggle cocaine into the Whitehorse Correctional Centre.
