Denton Emonts, who has been described as the driving force of the Luminati Brotherhood Club, pleaded guilty to drug charges on Thursday morning.
Emonts, 28, of Puslinch Township, pleaded guilty to 13 charges including trafficking in heroin, crystal meth and marijuana in a Kitchener courtroom.
He is described as a principal member of the Luminati Club, which was involved in drug dealing in Waterloo Region and elsewhere.
Emonts could face a sentence of up to 11 years in prison, less credit for time served, a term agreed on by the Crown and defence.
Emonts' defence lawyer Adam Newman says "It was his intention very early on to try and resolve this matter, but the sticking point was initially the Crown was going to require a plea to a count of criminal organization, which he was adamant he didn't want to be part of."
The Luminati Club first appeared on the police radar in 2008, and in 2010 over two dozen people were rounded up in an undercover operation. A number of those arrested were alleged to be part of the criminal organization.
But Emonts maintains the club was just a group of friends and the Crown eventually withdrew the count.
Craig Parry, a defence attorney not involved in the case, says conviction on such a charge doesn't only carry additional prison time.
"It carries with it a stigma or stain on your name and the group you supposedly belong to gets tarnished with that same name tag so that can be considered very detrimental to some."
Of the 27 people originally charged in the case, the Crown says only two remain to be dealt with by the courts. They are expected to be handled in January.
The five people who submitted guilty pleas this week must also return for sentencing.
