Man to be arraigned on cocaine charges

A Canadian man is scheduled to be arraigned next month on charges of planning to sell more than 200 pounds of cocaine, which police discovered inside his mobile home parked in Newport Beach.

Jean-Francois Gosselin, 34, of Mascouche, Quebec, Canada, is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and a sentencing enhancement for having more than 80 kilos, when he was arrested Jan. 20 at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort.

According to Newport Beach police, officers from the Orange County Regional Narcotics Suppression Program served a search warrant on Gosselin’s class A motor home with Quebec license plates at about 5:30 p.m. that day. Officers found 92 individually packed kilos of cocaine throughout the vehicle, said Newport Beach police Sgt. Evan Sailor.

Gosselin has appeared in court twice for arraignments but delayed them. He has retained an attorney from Van Nuys and is scheduled to be back in court Feb. 25. Police records show he is being held in lieu of $5 million bail.

According to the Orange County Sheriffs Department, the Regional Narcotics Suppression Program started in 1986 and targets people who are involved in high-level drug trafficking or money laundering operations. Newport Beach is among the cities involved in the program.

In its history, the program has seized more than $193 million, 85,500 pounds of cocaine and $4.5 million in property.