A man who was identified earlier this year as one of B.C.’s most-wanted car thieves has been sentenced to time served for charges he faced in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Surrey.
Bradley Bender, 27, was sentenced Nov. 29 in Abbotsford provincial court on one count each of driving while prohibited in Abbotsford, breaching a release order in Chilliwack and theft of a motor vehicle in Surrey.
He was also handed 18 months’ probation and a one-year driving ban.
Bender had 12 other charges that were stayed:
• three counts of driving while disqualified/prohibited in Surrey on Aug. 21, 2021
• two counts of breach in Abbotsford on April 4, 2022
• two counts of driving while disqualified/prohibited in Abbotsford on April 4, 2022
• three counts of breach in Surrey on Aug. 12, 2021 and July 31, 2022
• two counts of breach in Chilliwack on Aug. 2, 2022
RELATED: One of B.C.’s most-wanted auto thieves allegedly has loaded gun in car during Abbotsford arrest
At the time of his arrest in Abbotsford in April, Bender was number 2 on the list of the top 10 “wanted auto crime offenders” on Impact BC’s website baitcar.com.
The listing stated that Bender was a “multi-jurisdictional car thief known to commit violent and property crime offences.”
Bender was arrested after Abbotsford Police patrol officers conducted “targeted enforcement” on him on April 4. He was wanted on several outstanding warrants in Abbotsford and Surrey.
The Abbotsford Police Department said at the time that officers spotted Bender driving, although a court order prohibited him from doing so. The officers blocked in his vehicle after he parked and arrested him as he got out of the car.
A loaded handgun was allegedly found in the vehicle within Bender’s reach, as was an alleged “large quantity” of drugs. But he was not charged with either of those offences.
Bender remained in custody until his release on May 20 on $1,000 bail, according to the database.
He was later charged with three counts of breaching his release order on Aug. 2 in Chilliwack.
vhopes@abbynews.com
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