A man sentenced to eight years in prison for trafficking cocaine has lost an appeal to get his term reduced.

In an Oct. 20 written decision, Manitoba Court of Appeal Judge Anne Turner said the sentence handed to William Gooding for his part in a complex drug smuggling operation will stand.

Gooding was arrested on March 1, 2022, as part of an RCMP investigation called Project Divergent.

At the time, he was already incarcerated at Stony Mountain Institution on an unrelated conviction.

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He pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking cocaine and received the eight-year sentence. He was also banned from owning any weapons for 10 years.

Gooding asserted in his appeal that the sentencing judge made an error in determining that he was

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