A 45-year-old man who was caught 'returning' merchandise he had gathered from the shelves of a Langford Home Depot store, has pleaded guilty and been sentenced.
The sentencing is one of two for Amir Atefat, both given April 24, who was the subject of two West Shore RCMP investigations last year.
The first investigation began on May 22, 2024, when RCMP received a report of fraud at Langford's Home Depot, located at 2400 Millstream Rd.
Atefat and another man, who was not located, were reported to have entered the store, gathered merchandise off the shelves and then returned the items for their full value, says a West Shore RCMP news release. Atefat was arrested by police as he exited the store.
After entering a guilty plea to false pretence, the court gave Atefat a suspended sentence, with 12 months probation, and a forfeiture order for the $360 cash that was seized from him at the time of his arrest.
The second investigation took place on Sept. 12, 2024, when Atefat and another suspect were arrested by officers from both West Shore RCMP Crime Reduction Unit and the Drugs and Organized Crime Unit.
Officers had been conducting covert surveillance on the suspects as they attended multiple stores throughout the Capital Region. Prior to the arrests, police searched Atefat’s vehicle and recovered thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise.
In court, Atefat pleaded guilty to two counts of theft under $5,000. The court imposed a conditional sentence – a custodial sentence to be served in the community – for 90 days, followed by 18 months probation.
As part of his court-ordered conditions, Atefat must not be on Vancouver Island without the written permission of his probation officer, and must not attend any Home Depot, London Drugs or Best Buy store in B.C.
