Fort St. John man acquitted on terror charges still a danger, say RCMP

VANCOUVER — The Facebook posts of a B.C. man acquitted of terrorism-related charges clearly show he wasn’t just a “couch jihadist” with a big mouth but someone who was becoming radicalized by the Islamic State group and advocating for lone wolf attacks, an RCMP officer has testified.

Const. Tarek Mokdad of the force’s national security division told an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing Monday that he was involved in the investigation of Othman Hamdan before his arrest in Fort St. John in 2015.

Mokdad said he wrote a report in 2015 based on the history of Islamic extremism and jihad and another last year on 85 of Hamdan’s Facebook posts.

He referenced both reports at the hearing and said he testified at Hamdan’s trial in B.C. Supreme Court, but the reports were not entered as evidence at the proceedings.

Hamdan is a Jordanian national who was granted refugee status in Canada after moving from the United States following the September 2001 attacks but now the Immigration and Refugee Board is considering whether his posts represent a security risk to Canada and if he should be deported.

Mokdad read numerous posts authored by Hamdan, who also used at least one alias on Facebook.

“I get it from the horse’s mouth,” he said of Hamdan’s posts, adding the man was buying into the cause of the Islamic State with his unwavering support for the group using violence, versus someone who would simply be reading propaganda online and not acting on it.

Hamdan’s posts clearly indicated he provided advice, support and how-to information on conducting lone wolf attacks by using various methods including a car, a knife and poison, though he didn’t author the post about weapons, Mokdad said.

A B.C. Supreme Court judge acquitted Hamdan in September, but has been detained since then after the Immigration and Refugee Board ruled his release would endanger the public.

• Merv James Cahoose (born 1971) was sentenced to nine months probation and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for assault, committed in Prince George, prohibited from driving for one year and fined $1,000 plus a $100 victim surcharge for driving while prohibited, committed in Quesnel.

• Lori-Renee Chew (born 1978) was sentenced to a 10-day conditional sentence order for failing to appear in court, to a six-day conditional sentence order for breaching an undertaking or recognizance and to one year probation for theft $5,000 or under and prohibited from driving for one year and fined $1,000 for driving while prohibited or licence suspended under the Motor Vehicle Act. Chew was also assessed $400 in victim surcharges on the counts.

• Brian Andrew Hill (born 1966) was assessed a oneyear $500 recognizance after allegation for causing fear of injury or damage.

• Ryan Kenneth Edward McLane (born 1983) was assessed $200 in victim surcharges for breaching probation and breaching an undertaking or recognizance. McLane was in custody for eight days prior to sentencing.

• Harpreet Singh (born 1997) was assessed a oneyear $500 recognizance after allegation for causing fear of injury or damage.

• Andrew Kevin St. Jean (born 1992) was sentenced to 81 days in jail, to be served on an intermittent basis, and 18 months probation and issued a twoyear firearms prohibition and assessed a $200 victim surcharge for assault. St. Jean was in custody for six days following his arrest.

• Billy Bradley Lolly (born 1983) was sentenced to 15 days in jail for breaching probation and to three days in jail for possessing a weapon for dangerous purpose. Lolly was in custody for seven days prior to sentencing.

• Robert Marshall Richards (born 1957) was sentenced to 18 months in jail and three years probation, issued a 10-year firearms prohibition and assessed $400 in victim surcharges for assault with a weapon and aggravated assault.

• Rene Joseph Batoche (born 1972) was sentenced to 11 days in jail and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for breaching probation. Batoche was in custody for five days prior to sentencing.

• Harvey Jerome Leon Chingee (born 1986) was sentenced to 60 days in jail and one year probation for theft of a motor vehicle, to 30 days in jail for willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer and to 15 days in jail for breaching probation and assessed $300 in victim surcharges on the counts.

Chingee spent 43 days in custody on the counts prior to sentencing.

• Michael Dragomir Gajic (born 1981) was sentenced to 30 days in jail, served on an intermittent basis, and probation until the end of the jail sentence and prohibited from driving for one year and fined $300 plus a $45 victim surcharge for driving while prohibited under the Motor Vehicle Act.

• Ricardo Daniel Gomes (born 1979) was sentenced to two years probation and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for mischief $5,000 or under.

• Montana Jacklynn Lowley (born 1998) was sentenced to six months probation with a conditional discharge and assessed $200 in victim surcharges for theft $5,000 or under and willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

• Kristy Lynn Noskye (born 1989) was prohibited from driving for one year and fined $500 plus a $75 victim surcharge for driving while prohibited/licence suspended under the Motor Vehicle Act.

• Justin Edward Pawluck (born 1983) was sentenced to three days in jail and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for breaching probation. Pawluck was in custody for six days prior to sentencing.

• Charles Brent Anfield (born 1960) was sentenced to seven days in jail for breaching probation, committed in Williams Lake, and failing to appear in court, committed in Prince George and to one year probation for breaching an undertaking and two counts of theft $5,000 or under, committed in Prince George. Anfield was also assessed $500 in victim surcharges on the counts.

• Michael Bernd Lehmann (born 1992) was issued a one-year $500 recognizance after allegation for causing fear of injury or damage.

• Nathan Aaron David Peters (born 1985) was sentenced to 15 days in jail for failing to appear in court and to 12 days in jail for theft $5,000 or under and breaching probation and assessed $300 in victim surcharges on the counts. Peters was in custody for three days following his arrest.

• Matthew Peter Tracey (born 1986) was sentenced to one day in jail for theft $5,000 or under and to time served for assault with intent to resist arrest. Tracey was also sentenced to one year probation and assessed $200 in victim surcharges on the counts. Tracey was in custody for one day prior to sentencing.

• Kurt Werner Steinhauser (born 1982) was sentenced to 30 days in jail for willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer, to 24 days in jail for breaching probation and to six days in jail for breaching probation. Steinhauser was also sentenced to one year probation and assessed $300 on the charges. Steinhauser was in custody for 15 days prior to sentencing.

• Jacey Gail Reimer (born 1998) was sentenced to one day in jail for theft $5,000 or under and to time served for assault with intent to resist arrest. Reimer was also sentenced to one year probation and assessed $200 in victim surcharges on the counts. Remier was in custody for one day prior to sentencing.

• Devin Andrew Jacobs (born 1985) was sentenced to 21 days in jail and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for failing to appear in court, committed in Prince George, and to jail time served and assessed $400 in victim surcharges for possession of a controlled substance, committed in Prince George, and three counts of breaching an undertaking or recognizance, committed in Fort St. James. Jacobs was in custody for seven days prior to sentencing.

• Nicholas Ryan Basil (born 1983) was sentenced to 21 days in jail and assessed $300 in victim surcharges for two counts of breaching probation, committed in Fort St. James. Basil was in custody for five days prior to sentencing.

• Fabian Brian Joseph (born 1990) was sentenced to one day in jail and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for breaching probation, committed in Prince George. Joseph was in custody for nine days prior to sentencing.

• Kenneth Melvin Seymour (born 1991) was sentenced to 36 days in jail for theft $5,000 or under and possessing a weapon for dangerous purpose and to 30 days in jail for breaching probation. Seymour was in custody for 14 days prior to sentencing.