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Drug trafficker released on full parole.

A Vernon drug dealer who was sentenced nearly a decade ago to 14 years in prison is now free on parole.

Ronald Charles Learning, 42, was sentenced to 14 years and five months in June of 2016 on 27 counts related to drug trafficking and firearm possession.

Learning was involved in a cross-border drug trafficking operation in 2011, and was arrested after selling what he believed to be 30 grams of cocaine to an undercover cop.

He was then arrested in Vernon in January 2015 after trying to pick up a 360 grams of heroin that had been discovered and flagged by border agents at Vancouver International Airport.

A police search of Learning’s home found several handguns, some of which were loaded, assorted ammunition, stolen identification and quantities of various drugs.

Documents from the Parole Board of Canada say Learning’s criminal activities are tied to his substance abuse, which began after he was prescribed drugs to deal with a workplace injury.

"While in prison, you spent several years in medium security but were then involuntarily transferred to maximum-security because of your involvement in the drug subculture. After a period of appropriate behaviour, you earned a transfer back to medium security in 2021,” reads parole board documents.

He also received one institutional charge in 2023 for having a USB drive. Since then, Learning's behaviour has improved. He’s been on day parole for about 20 months.

Learning has been granted full parole, but he is still bound by a number of strict conditions prohibiting him from using drugs, owning more than one phone or associating with known criminals.