A man who pleaded guilty to pimping three drug-addicted women was sentenced Wednesday to a further year in jail.
Jody Lee Burns has been in custody for 16 months, ever since he was arrested at the Rosebud Motel in the 3600 block of Highway 97 in October 2016 when one of the women went to RCMP.
Co-accused Jennifer Dawn Comadina, who had no previous criminal record, was also arrested at the time and in September was sentenced to a further month in jail for her role in the scheme.
For about four months, the two had been running what they called an escort agency, getting the word out via Craigslist. Clients were charged $80 for 15 minutes, $120 for a half hour and $160 for an hour.
The women were described as "very fragile" and were paid in a "rather continuous stream" of heroin and methamphetamine while Burns and Comadina pocketed the cash, the court was told. Comadina answered the phone and maintained a chit that, in theory, kept track of how much money the three made and how much they owed in drugs.
Burns' role was not spelled out during the hearing at the Prince George courthouse, but it was noted a loaded semi-automatic handgun was found on him, as was a laptop computer and various cellphones.
Photos of the women dressed in lingerie and, in some cases, topless, were also found.
Burns and Comadina had originally been charged with trafficking in persons and sexual assault using a firearm, both of which carry a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. But the complainants subsequently said it was a business arrangement and they had not been forced into working for the two. Moreover, a fourth woman investigators contacted said she worked briefly for Burns but soon quit because he was not very good at getting customers.
Burns and Comadina subsequently pleaded guilty to three counts of the lesser charge of benefitting from sexual services, which carries a maximum of 10 years, if the victim is an adult. Ages of the three in the case ranged from 20 to 28 years old.
The court heard Burns and Comadina were also drug addicts, and that Burns, who has a criminal record mostly for offences committed on Vancouver Island, entered the residential treatment program at Baldy Hughes in the summer of 2014.
But after two weeks, Burns left and tried to overcome his addiction issues on his own, the court was told. He ended up bouncing around the city's shelters before he and Comadina, who was described as Burns' spouse, came up up with the scheme.
While in custody, Burns has been taking courses focussed on making him employable and through his lawyer, Burns apologized for his actions and said he is committed to improving himself and avoiding committing more crimes once out of custody.
In sentencing Burns, provincial court judge Susan Mengering accepted a joint submission from Crown and defence counsels for three years less credit of 24 months for time service prior to sentencing.
She said that while all involved were in the throes of addiction, neither Burns nor Comadina did anything to actually earn their money and instead "made it off the backs of very vulnerable individuals."
However, Mengering also noted Burns pleaded guilty and, in the process, saved the victims from having to testify at a trial. She accepted that Burns has expressed remorse and has taken some responsibility for his actions.
The sentence also applies to a count of possessing a prohibited or restricted firearm for the handgun.
As a result of the other three convictions, Burns will be on the national sex offender registry for 20 years and was required to give a sample of his DNA.
