WESTLOCK – The Westlock-area man involved in a late-January 2021 crime spree that saw him smash in the front windows of a pair of businesses, has been released following 205 days behind bars.
Appearing in Westlock Provincial Court Oct. 13 via CCTV from the Edmonton Remand Centre, Travis Leo Jean, 33, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of shopbreaking with intent and failure to comply with release conditions, plus single counts of housebreaking with intent, mischief under $5,000, mischief (rendering property dangerous, useless, inoperative or ineffective), disobeying a court order and failure to comply with a probation order. Eight other counts ranging from disguised with intent, to possession of break-in instruments and possession of a controlled substance, were withdrawn.
Judge Rosanna Saccomani, appearing via Webex from St. Albert Provincial Court, sentenced Jean to 205 days in jail, as well as 18 months of probation, plus ordered him to provide a sample of his DNA to authorities — the sentence was joint submission from Crown prosecutor James Wilson who said the crimes “cry out for a significant period of incarceration” and defence lawyer David Keyes. Since he’s been in jail since his arrest in March, Jean’s sentence was deemed served.
“Particularly concerning is that over the short span of two years this offender has committed 21 criminal offences and has four prior convictions for break and enters,” said Wilson.
“What’s also particularly concerning is that many of these break and enters were resolved in November 2020 just before he committed another string of break and enters. It appears that at least the sentence that was administered in November 2020 failed to deter him from committing further offences.”
Judge Saccomani pressed Jean for details about his upbringing and urged him to get back on the straight and narrow, while Wilson said he’s hopeful he will, “abide by probation and take advantage of some of the programming that will be recommended.”
“Everybody has challenges. I’m not sure how you got into drugs especially considering you come from a strong family,” said Judge Saccomani. “You’ve made a commitment to your family to start a new lifestyle and put this past behind you and I hope you do. You’re only 33 years of age. Every time you find yourself in jail you drag your family back through the mud. It’s not just about you, it’s about everything you’re doing to your family.”
Jean, who grew up in the Jarvie area, said he was “truly ashamed” for the crimes and vowed to kick his drug habit. Keyes said the combination of a family crisis, combined with the loss of his grandfather, led to drug abuse and a life of crime. Keyes said his client now wants to, “break this self-destructive loop. He is frustrated and annoyed with himself that he loses control and acts this way.”
“My (grandfather) was an all-around good person and a hard worker and an all-around inspiration to me. He would be truly ashamed of the life I’m living right now,” said Jean during sentencing. “I’m truly ashamed.”
The major crimes
Wilson told court that around 1:44 a.m., Jan. 26, RCMP responded to a break-in at the Independent Grocery store — video surveillance showed Jean using a sledgehammer to break through the main window of the store.
Once inside Jean and a co-accused, Nathan R. Stephani, ransacked the aisles — Jean used the sledgehammer to open the cellphone kiosk before pilfering it. Video also showed Stephani running to the pharmacy area where he unsuccessfully tried to open the cash register. Both men were seen on video leaving the back of the store with a variety of items.
That same day RCMP were dispatched to a break-and-enter call at Golinowski Distributing, the former site of the bottle depot. On scene police saw fresh footprints in the snow on the other side of the locked fence to the property — the building’s owner was on scene and unlocked the gate for police to enter.
During their search police eventually found a co-accused, Arthur William McLean, lying on the floor of a motorhome. Meanwhile, Jean was also found hiding under a semi-trailer.
On further investigation, RCMP noted damage to the driver’s-side door of a Ford pickup truck, while its ignition switch had been mangled. Inside the truck they also found a backpack that had McLean’s ID, pliers and a wrench.
Then on Feb. 1, police were alerted to an alarm at Needful Things on 106th Street across the street from the Canada Post office. On arrival police saw the front window had been smashed and the front door was wide open. Wilson said that video footage showed the men breaking the window — both were dressed in black and wearing masks. Inside they filled a white pail with items then fled out the back door — police later found some of the stolen items stashed in a backyard. The store owner singled out Jean on the video as he had been in the store two days earlier and was looking at the knives and electronics in a glass cabinet. Jean had also showed off his “distinctive tattoos” to the owner, which also tipped police off to his identity. A green bandana Jean used during that robbery was also noted by police when was at the detachment a few days later.
Finally on March 1 at 10:25 a.m. the owner of Home Hardware contacted RCMP and told them he had video of Jean taken at 4 a.m., Feb. 27 using a hammer to adjust the level of the camera attached to the business. At noon that same day, Jean was arrested by police for breaching his curfew and told police at the time, “he was just messing with the guy from Home Hardware.”
