Alberta man sentenced for armed jewelry heist

CALGARY (CP) — A man has been sentenced to an extra 4 1/2 years in prison for his part in a jewelry store heist in which a shotgun was fired into the ceiling.

Darren James Bauer, 36, pleaded guilty Friday to committing robbery with a firearm at Imperial Jewelers in Calgary in November 2014. A trial was scheduled to begin next month.

In an agreed statement of facts, prosecutor Jason Wuttunee told court that Bauer and his common-law spouse at the time entered the store near closing time. They were wearing masks, dark clothing and carrying a shotgun.

“The accused ordered employees of the store to lie on the floor. He then began to smash the glass display cabinets with the butt of the shotgun which caused a round of ammunition to discharge into the ceiling of the store,” Wuttunee said.

“The accused then demanded information from the employees for the location of the money box or drawer. The accused pointed the shotgun at the employees before making this demand."

Bauer and his partner, Kathleen Cooper, emptied gold, diamonds and jewelry into a pair of duffel bags before fleeing in a truck. Police estimated the value of the stolen goods at $200,000. The jewelry was never recovered.

Bauer is already serving an 11-year sentence for several firearms charges, including some that were gang-related.