P.E.I. man gets jail time for stealing truck

Jeremy Russell Wagner pleads guilty to several other offences

Stealing a motor vehicle and committing several other offences have resulted in a 16-month jail sentence for a P.E.I. man.

Jeremy Russell Wagner, 42, appeared in provincial court in Charlottetown on Nov. 1 and pleaded guilty to property damage, using a stolen credit card, being unlawfully inside a residence, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident and theft of a Ford truck.

The first of several offences occurred on May 26, said Crown attorney Emily Campbell. On that day at around 12:59 p.m., Wagner was seen by witnesses breaking the lock of a fence surrounding the Maritime Electric power station on the UPEI campus. Wagner told witnesses that he had been hired to build a new fence.

Besides the damage to the fence and lock, police discovered that Wagner had cut seven copper ground wires. Wagner was arrested by police and released on conditions after admitting to the offence. The amount of damage caused by Wagner at the Maritime Electric station was $3,000, said Campbell.

Then on June 15, Wagner made purchases totalling $39.30 with a stolen RBC credit card at the Needs convenience store on Euston Street. The credit card had been reported stolen earlier that day from a motor vehicle.

On July 17, Wagner was caught on video surveillance footage going into an unlocked porch at a residence on Euston Street and going to sleep. Police recognized Wagner from the video and charged him with being unlawfully inside a dwelling.

Then on Aug. 7, Wagner stole a Ford truck from a residence in Charlottetown. He was spotted driving the stolen truck on the Robertson Road and was arrested by police.

Prior to being arrested, Wagner was captured on video surveillance footage on Andrews Court in Charlottetown driving the stolen truck over a parked motorcycle and onto a resident's lawn.

Wagner admitted to police that he stole the truck and was in the neighbourhood where the motorcycle was damaged. He said he had been using methamphetamines in recent days.

After each prior arrest, Wagner was released on conditions. However, he was not released on Aug. 7 and has been in custody since that date.

Wagner has a 51-page criminal record with 29 theft under $5,000 charges. His criminal record also includes a recent sentence for stealing frozen lobster from the Chip Shack in Charlottetown.

Wagner currently owes the courts $71,557.39 in relation to previous offences, said Campbell.

Chief Judge Jeff Lantz accepted a joint recommendation from Campbell and legal-aid lawyer Justin Milne and sentenced Wagner to 16 months in jail. Wagner was also sentenced to two years of probation and banned from driving for three years. Wagner was given four months (129 days) of credit on the sentence for time served in custody.

Milne told the court that Wagner accepted responsibility for his actions and co-operated with police. And even though Wagner wasn't making excuses for his conduct, Milne noted that his client is dealing with homelessness and substance abuse issues.