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Westlock man's crimes repeatedly caught on video surveillance

Tyler Cory Stump sentenced at Barrhead Provincial Court on May 18 to 130 days in custody
Barrhead Provincial Court (VM)
Being caught repeatedly on video surveillance led to the undoing of a Westlock man pleading guilty to multiple charges at Barrhead Provincial Court on May 18.

BARRHEAD – A Westlock man will have just over 100 days left to serve in custody after pleading guilty at Barrhead Provincial Court on May 18 to six offences, including the theft of nearly $2,800 in cigarettes from a local store. 

Tyler Cory Stump pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to comply with the conditions of a release order, possession of stolen property under $5,000, possession of a stolen credit card, theft of a motor vehicle and breaking and entering. A number of other charges were withdrawn. 

Judge Karl Wilberg sentenced Stump to a global sentence of 130 days in prison but credited him for being in custody since May 1 for a total of 18 days. On an enhanced credit basis, that equals 27 days, leaving Stump with 103 days left to serve. 

He was also ordered to pay $1,245 in restitution to the owner of the store he broke into for the damage that was caused. 

Crown prosecutor Anthony Estephan said that on Feb. 2, 2020, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Westlock RCMP intercepted a “stuck, broken-down vehicle” near the gate approach of a residence within Westlock County. 

At the time, the RCMP were investigating a suspicious vehicle complaint, Estephan said. They spoke to the three occupants of the vehicle, one of whom was Stump. 

A U-Haul trailer attached to the truck was empty and the three individuals were otherwise doing nothing criminal. 

The following day, however, the property owner at that location called the RCMP to report a break-and-enter to several outbuildings and a holiday trailer the night before. The thieves made off with a large generator and snowblower, among other items. 

Estephan said they located the same U-Haul and truck from the night before at Stump’s residence. They then observed Stump and another occupant attend the large U-Haul, open the doors up and go inside. 

The contents of the U-Haul, which were in plain view of the RCMP, included the stolen generator and snowblower. 

Then, on April 17, 2020, at approximately 2:54 a.m., a Westlock constable attended Stump’s residence to check on his compliance with the conditions of a release order. 

At the time, Stump was required to be at the residence between the hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. However, neither Stump’s girlfriend nor roommate knew where he was, except that he was not at the residence. 

On Sept. 24, 2021, a Westlock-area resident attended the detachment to report that their truck had been broken into and some items were stolen. 

Following that break-in, the complainant received a notification that someone had attempted to use their credit card at 5:23 a.m. at a gas station in Westlock. The complainant acquired video surveillance from that gas station at the time the card was used, and the RCMP were able to identify the suspect as Stump. 

Estephan said the complainant also identified a red tool bag being carried by Stump that had been stolen from the truck. 

On Feb. 10, 2021, at around 12:19 p.m., the Westlock RCMP received a report of a stolen and subsequently recovered vehicle. 

The victim in this case had accidentally left the keys to her vehicle on the driver’s seat after driving to work. They then noticed the vehicle was missing when it was time for lunch. 

While reporting the theft to police, Estephan said the victim was able to use GPS to track the vehicle to another location in Westlock.  

After calling 911, the victim used a spare set of keys to gain access to the vehicle. 

Video surveillance of that location showed a male resembling Stump stealing the vehicle, Estephan said. 

Finally, on April 10, 2022, at approximately 4:47 a.m., Westlock RCMP were called to a local store where a security alarm had sounded. 

The members noticed broken glass at the front entrance of the store, though the back entrance was still undisturbed. 

The store owner arrived to let the RCMP officers inside the store to search for the intruder, but they had already left. 

However, RCMP observed that the suspect had emptied the cigarette shelf behind the store’s front counter, taking approximately $2,773 in cigarettes and causing $1,245 in damage. 

Once again, video surveillance revealed that the suspect was Stump, who was under conditions at the time to observe a curfew between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. 

Estephan noted that Stump has a criminal record with a number of offences between May 2020 and March 2022. 

He had six previous convictions for failing to comply with court orders, including an offence in September 2021 when he received a 20-day custodial sentence, and four property-related offences. 

The joint submission was for Stump to be sentenced to 20 days for the possession of stolen property charge; 20 days for the first breach of release conditions; 10 days for possessing a stolen credit card; 40 days on the break-and-enter; 20 days on the theft of a motor vehicle; and 20 days for the second breach of release conditions. 

While 130 days was a harsher sentence than Stump had received in the past, the criminal record and the fact these offences all occurred in a rural area were aggravating factors. 

Defence lawyer Richard Forbes said Stump was pleading guilty to offences that “envelope” his entire record, noting that these acts were related to his drug use and “tenuous” housing situation in Westlock. 

While he does not have a high school diploma, Stump has some Grade 12 and is working on registering for some life skills programs. 

Forbes noted there is very limited programming at the Edmonton Remand Centre, but he could pursue what is there after this court case was dealt with. 

On the subject of victim fine surcharges, Forbes noted that Stump was eligible for release on $300 bail but could not raise the money. 

“His financial circumstances will not improve while he is in custody, which will be for some time,” Forbes said. 

In addition to the 130-day sentence and restitution order, Wilberg ordered the forfeiture of all seized items.

Kevin Berger, TownandCountryToday.com

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