Two years for possession of stolen jewelry

The man found in possession of items stolen from the Skinner & Nadeau jewelry store in Sherbrooke has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to the charges against him. For humanitarian reasons, however, Michel Hanszer was released under severe conditions.

Hanszer was arrested last week at his home on Rolland Blvd in Montreal North in possession of more than $33,000 worth of jewelry, most of which still bore labels from Skinner & Nadeau.

Given that the Sherbrooke Police have not yet completed their investigation into the robbery, Quebec Court Justice Conrad Chapdelaine issued an exceptional order not to disclose the facts that led to Hanszer’s arrest.

Hanszer will return to the Sherbrooke courthouse on October 18 to formally hear his sentence, which comes as a joint recommendation from counsel.

Hanszer was released under strict conditions to allow him time to look after his sick father.

The 54-year-old has acknowledged having received watches and jewelry worth over $5,000 and also pleaded guilty to charges of possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA, or ecstasy for the purpose of trafficking.

The Sherbrooke jeweler was occurred on the night of March 22-23 and police were subsequently able to arrest the suspect at his Montreal home. Police also found 9.8 grams of cocaine, 99 ecstasy tablets, four methamphetamine tablets, and equipment used in the distribution of narcotics.