John Edward Newcome is not going to jail.
The former owner of Cycle Logic in West Kelowna was handed an 18-month conditional sentence by Judge Vincent Hogan Thursday afternoon after pleading guilty to 19 counts, mostly involving possession of stolen property and trafficking in stolen property.
“The public will be amazed at the outcome of this,” said Hogan.
Although the judge admitted he didn’t know the reason for the joint submission, he said he must trust the Crown has the public’s best interest at heart.
Newcome was also fined $500 plus a $100 victim fine surcharge for possession of a controlled substance, and was given the same fine for breach of undertaking or recognizance.
He must also pay Sovereign General Insurance Company $7,502, related to a 27-foot pontoon boat and boat trailer that was stolen in 2012.
Newcome, who did not have a prior record, will be under house arrest for the first nine months of his conditional sentence; he will have a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for the second half of the sentence.
At no point during the conditional sentence will Newcome be allowed to possess drugs, alcohol or weapons.
On Aug. 2, 2012, Mounties executed search warrant on Newcome’s Peachland residence and Cycle Logic on Julian Road in West Kelowna.
In September 2012, Kelowna RCMP announced they had seized in excess of $750,000 worth of stolen goods at the end of a six-month investigation.
Stolen items recovered through the investigation included a motorcycle, ATVs, pontoon boats, pickup trucks and trailers.
District of West Kelowna council unanimously opted to cancel Cycle Logic’s business licence in March 2013. It was the first time the district had cancelled a business licence due to suspected criminal activity.
As part of Newcome’s sentence, he must present any vehicle he wishes to buy or sell to the police for inspection before doing so.
wpaterson@kelownacapnews.com
Twitter: @PatersonWade
