Neighbours shocked by Halloween cannabis candy charges against ‘friendly’ couple

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Some residents in a south Tuxedo neighbourhood say they’re standing behind the couple charged Wednesday with handing out bags of cannabis candy on Halloween.

After bags of Nerds Rope candies containing 600 mg of of THC each were found in youths’ trick-or-treat bags last Halloween, Sheldon Chochinov, 63, and Tammy Sigurdur, 53, were arrested and released on a promise to appear. The couple, who were named publicly after formal charges were laid this week, each face 13 counts of distributing cannabis to a young person and 13 more of distributing cannabis knowing it is illegal.

It was a stunning revelation for some living on the same street. One couple, who live a few doors down on Coleraine Crescent, said they were positive Chochinov and Sigurdur weren’t guilty when they were arrested and they’re still positive now.

“I don’t believe it was them,” said the man, who asked for anonymity. “I believe that it might have happened, they have enough proof that those Nerds were in the Halloween treats, but I just don’t believe they knew it, or they did it on purpose in any way shape or form.”

“Why would somebody take the chance, in their 60s, of their name and their reputation to go down the tube?” his wife said.

At the time of the arrests, the Winnipeg Police Service said they did not believe the candies were handed out accidentally.

The neighbours said the accused couple are parents who own a house in Arizona. Chochinov runs a successful accounting firm.

When the news broke that Chochinov and Sigurdur were facing charges, the neighbour said Chochinov had told him it was the worst day of his life, second only to his mother dying.

“I think someone dropped them in the bag, and he doesn’t pay attention. I know Sheldon, he just handed them out, he was handing out full-size chocolate bars, and whatever was in the bowl he was handing out. I don’t think he even looked,” the man said.

He said many other people living in the neighbourhood “absolutely” feel the same way.

“It made the news, so the police are making an example of them,” he said.

The Free Press was turned away after visiting the couple’s home to request comment. Chochinov did not respond to a request via email and declined to speak with a reporter earlier this week.

“It’s a fairly affluent area, it’s a wealthy area, you wouldn’t think it would happen. But then again, it’s people that live in an area like this who can afford the candy, right?” said Harry Odwak, another nearby resident.

Odwak has been neighbours with the pair for more than 15 years, and said the news was sad to hear. He knows them in passing, he said, and knows them to be friendly. One of his friends, who lives close by, is the parent of one of the children who received the cannabis candy.

“It’s weird, it was very shocking to all of us,” Odwak said. “It hit all of us — the four houses here — we were all standing outside the next day, dumbfounded.”

None of the children who received the THC edibles ate them. The edibles have been sent to Health Canada to be tested, but the WPS has not yet received the results.

Neither Chochinov or Sigurdur have criminal records. Court records show Chochinov was named as a defendant in a 2018 lawsuit involving his role as a trustee in a dispute over a family trust.

That case is still before the court.

— with files from Dean Pritchard

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca