Man jailed for possession of stolen property

A southern Alberta man who was a passenger in two vehicles that were stolen last year will spend some time behind bars.

Franklin Pantherbone pleaded guilty Tuesday in Lethbridge provincial court to one count of possession of stolen property over $5,000 and two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000 and was sentenced to nine months in jail.

Pantherbone, 35, was seen July 15 sitting in the passenger seat of a Ford F150 pickup truck that had been stolen the previous May. When police approached the vehicle, which was being driven by a woman, it sped off, fish-tailing out of the lot in which it had been parked. Police chose not to chase the truck given the dangerous manner in which it was driven, but they got a good look at Pantherbone, who was later identified, along with the woman, in a surveillance video.

Less than a month later, while responding to a disturbance at a Lethbridge business, police recognized a 2007 Dodge Ram that had been reported stolen in June. They saw Pantherbone and the same woman approach the vehicle, but when police approached them Pantherbone ran away and had to be chased down.

Police searched the vehicle and discovered numerous stolen items, including licence plates, a USB drive and keys to another stolen vehicle.

Defence lawyer Robin McIntyre explained her client, who is a member of the Blood Tribe, has struggled since he was young. And although he doesn’t drink, “Mr. Pantherbone is an addict.”

Pantherbone was given credit for the equivalent of 175 days he’s already spent in custody on the charges, leaving 95 days to serve on his sentence. He was placed on probation for one year and ordered to take counselling and treatment for substance abuse and life skills.

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