A Bonnyville man was handed a 120-day sentence and ordered to pay restitution for multiple charges, including fraud and mail theft.
Francis Edward Stoyles, 25, pled guilty to breach of probation, failure to comply with conditions, fraud under $5,000, and theft of mail on Tuesday, July 24 in Bonnyville court via CCTV from the Edmonton Remand Centre.
Honourable Judge Donna Groves handed Stoyles a 120-day sentence. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $2395.37 to the Cold Lake Money Mart for a fraudulent cheque he cashed, and $319 to Canada Post for damages to mail boxes.
In 2017, Stoyles was required to pay $2,850 in restitution related to fraud and property obtained by crime by April 24, 2017. No payment was received.
Later that year, in October, Stoyles failed to report to a bail supervisor after being charged and released for various drug offences.
The fraud charges stemmed from Stoyles cashing a cheque at the Cold Lake Money Mart on Sept. 27, 2017 with his driver’s license. An investigation found that the company listed on the cheque doesn’t exist.
The Bonnyville RCMP received a report in November 2017 that several individuals had broken into 53 mailboxes in Kitscoty, and stole mail.
CCTV footage showed the three suspects in a Dodge Charger committing the crimes, and police identified Matthew David Sartain, 37, as one of the culprits. Stoyles wasn’t originally identified as a suspect, but later confessed to his involvement.
Acting as duty council, Hart Spencer noted the footage was grainy and that Stoyles admitted he broke into the mail boxes when he didn’t have to.
Spencer explained that Stoyles has issues with drugs, and that his crimes are a means of supporting his methamphetamine addiction.
“Getting his hands on money to buy drugs was what he wanted,” he said. “None of them were exactly smart, like when he used his own drivers’ license when cashing a fake cheque.”
Groves mentioned Stoyles’ 23 previous charges on his record, and that he has the ‘look’ of a drug addict.
Stoyles previously appeared in Bonnyville court on July 17 on these charges. The judge at the time, Kathleen Williams, noted that the 120-day joint recommendation was inappropriate for the severity of his crimes.
