From The Toronto Star, Canada.
The man accused of being Toronto's most notorious bike thief has pleaded guilty to the possession of drugs and only 10 stolen bicycles.
Although it was believed many of his horde of 3,000 bikes were stolen, he was only charged with 58 to keep the case manageable, Crown prosecutor Ruth Kleinhenz said outside provincial court Tuesday.
Owners have since reclaimed 582.
To ward off a civil suit from the province, Kenk has allowed the attorney general's ministry to confiscate the 2,200 bikes that remain. They have been stored in Durham Region. A ministry spokesman said their fate has not been decided.
Dressed in grey jeans and sweater, his long hair and beard dishevelled, Kenk admitted to 10 counts of possession of stolen property – 10 bicycles worth under $5,000.
The 50-year-old bike repairman and self-described recycler also pleaded guilty to five counts of possession of cocaine and one of marijuana. Forty-eight bike-related counts and several drug charges were dropped.
Charges were also withdrawn against Jeanie Chung, 38, his common-law wife. The classical pianist faced counts related to stolen goods and drugs found in the couple's rented Yorkville house.
Justice Kathleen Caldwell sentenced Kenk to 30 months, but after credit for pre-trial custody, he will serve just four more.
Lon Rose, his lawyer, said in an interview he didn't think Kenk was happy with the result. "I think he was understandably frustrated by how long the process has taken." Immigration factors were among those considered in sentencing the Slovenian-born immigrant, who is not a Canadian citizen, Rose said. The sentence should not affect his immigration status, he said.
According to an agreed statement of facts, on July 16, 2008, two police officers saw Jean Laveau use bolt cutters to free a bike from its lock and then take it to Kenk, who was in front of his Queen St. W. bike shop. They saw Kenk pay Laveau cash.
Laveau then walked to another locked bike, again c0utting it free.
Police arrested Kenk and Laveau. Laveau later pleaded guilty to theft and possession of burglary tools.
The next day, an informant told police he had stolen bicycles for Kenk, who paid him with cash or crack cocaine, and knew of others who had done the same.
Police found about 3,000 bicycles at Kenk's bike shop, his home and rented garages, and seized about seven kilograms of marijuana and several ounces of cocaine.
Kenk was released on bail, but was taken back into custody after being charged with assaulting two people in December 2008. His trial on those charges resumes Friday.
The man accused of being Toronto's most notorious bike thief has pleaded guilty to the possession of drugs and only 10 stolen bicycles.
Although it was believed many of his horde of 3,000 bikes were stolen, he was only charged with 58 to keep the case manageable, Crown prosecutor Ruth Kleinhenz said outside provincial court Tuesday.
Owners have since reclaimed 582.
To ward off a civil suit from the province, Kenk has allowed the attorney general's ministry to confiscate the 2,200 bikes that remain. They have been stored in Durham Region. A ministry spokesman said their fate has not been decided.
Dressed in grey jeans and sweater, his long hair and beard dishevelled, Kenk admitted to 10 counts of possession of stolen property – 10 bicycles worth under $5,000.
The 50-year-old bike repairman and self-described recycler also pleaded guilty to five counts of possession of cocaine and one of marijuana. Forty-eight bike-related counts and several drug charges were dropped.
Charges were also withdrawn against Jeanie Chung, 38, his common-law wife. The classical pianist faced counts related to stolen goods and drugs found in the couple's rented Yorkville house.
Justice Kathleen Caldwell sentenced Kenk to 30 months, but after credit for pre-trial custody, he will serve just four more.
Lon Rose, his lawyer, said in an interview he didn't think Kenk was happy with the result. "I think he was understandably frustrated by how long the process has taken." Immigration factors were among those considered in sentencing the Slovenian-born immigrant, who is not a Canadian citizen, Rose said. The sentence should not affect his immigration status, he said.
According to an agreed statement of facts, on July 16, 2008, two police officers saw Jean Laveau use bolt cutters to free a bike from its lock and then take it to Kenk, who was in front of his Queen St. W. bike shop. They saw Kenk pay Laveau cash.
Laveau then walked to another locked bike, again c0utting it free.
Police arrested Kenk and Laveau. Laveau later pleaded guilty to theft and possession of burglary tools.
The next day, an informant told police he had stolen bicycles for Kenk, who paid him with cash or crack cocaine, and knew of others who had done the same.
Police found about 3,000 bicycles at Kenk's bike shop, his home and rented garages, and seized about seven kilograms of marijuana and several ounces of cocaine.
Kenk was released on bail, but was taken back into custody after being charged with assaulting two people in December 2008. His trial on those charges resumes Friday.
