Bike thief urged to seek treatment before too late

A man who amassed a three-page criminal record in less than two years has been advised by his lawyer to leave Niagara Falls.

In Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Tuesday defence lawyer John Lefurgey said his Montreal-born client had enjoyed a crime-free life until he moved to Niagara in 2016.

The lawyer said Niagara Falls turned Yan Charron into a drug addict who turned to theft in order to feed his habit.

“I’ve told him the best thing for him is treatment and the second best thing for would be a change of geography,” Lefurgey told Judge Fergus O’Donnell.

Charron on Tuesday pleaded guilty to multiple offences that occurred between June and August, including several bike thefts and possession of property for the purpose of trafficking. He was sentenced to 120 days behind bars. The latter charge involved Charron selling stolen high-end racing bicycles, valued at $5,000, to another person for $150.

The details of the bike thefts were similar. In each case, court heard, he was captured on video surveillance. Police simply tracked him down to his last known address.

“Mr. Charron is doomed to failure,” Lefurgey said. “Niagara Falls is a small city. It’s not like Cheers where everyone knows your name, but it’s certainly a place where police know the frequent flyers of the courts.”

Lefurgey said his 42-year-old client has overdosed several times in the past and understands he needs to address his addiction issues before it’s too late.

O’Donnell told Charron to seek treatment or risk losing his life to his addictions.

“You’ve had multiple overdoses and it hasn’t clicked yet. If you do overdose and can’t be brought back, there are people who will be affected by that.”

He told the defendant about a 24-yearold man he had previously sentenced to time served for similar petty crimes.

A few days after the sentence, the judge learned the man had died from a drug overdose.

“He was a really nice kid,” the judge said.