Desperate for money, Troy Cyril Weeks agreed to sell stolen goods that he and his friends had acquired through theft.
However, he was caught in the act of fencing the merchandise in his possession. He also just happened to be on probation at the time after being charged with an earlier break and enter.
Appearing in Moose Jaw provincial court on June 3, Weeks, 26, pleaded guilty to breaching his curfew, to theft of electronics under $5,000, to breaching his probation, to possessing stolen property, and to breaching an undertaking by failing to keep the peace.
The Crown stayed several other charges.
As part of a joint submission, Weeks was given a six-month suspended sentence and probation, along with six months to pay a fine of $500.
On Jan. 1 around 7:15 p.m., police found Weeks and two other men near a storage bay on Ominica Street West. Officers arrested them for being in possession of stolen electronic items, said Crown prosecutor Robbie Parker while reading the facts.
Moose Jaw police were also called to Family Pawn on Jan. 23 since the owners believed Weeks was attempting to pawn stolen property, said Parker. The owners told police he had attempted to pawn stolen property there before, so they were suspicious this time.
Weeks admitted to police that all the tools were stolen, but a friend had actually stolen them, Parker continued. Weeks was attempting to pawn them for extra money.
Due to the charge of possessing stolen items, Weeks was placed on an undertaking with a curfew of 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. Officers conducted a check on Weeks at his home around 10 p.m. on May 10 and discovered he was not there.
As part of a joint submission, the Crown and defence recommended that Weeks receive a fine of $500 for the theft under $5,000 of electronics, and a suspended sentence and probation for six months for the breach of probation.
To run concurrently — or at the same time — is another suspended sentence and six months of probation for the possession of power tools and breach of probation.
“He acknowledges these were bad decisions at the time,” said legal aid lawyer Suzanne Jeanson. His explanation, she continued, is he was going through a difficult financial period at the time. However, he is now working and making money.
Moose Jaw provincial court next sits on June 10.
