A young Prince George man was sentenced Thursday to a one-year conditional sentence for using the police emergency lights he purchased online to pull over drivers and, in two cases, extort small amounts of money from them.
Raafay Shehzad, 18, was also sentenced to a three-month concurrent term for bilking his employer out of nearly $5,000 worth of merchandise - both incidents happening at about the same time a year ago.
In reaching his decision, Prince George Provincial Court Judge Victor Galbraith said the cases added up to the "oddest set of facts" he's come across in the nearly 25 years he's been a lawyer or a judge.
Shehzad was arrested in early April 2013 after he caused a stir when he attached the lights to the dash in his vehicle and pulled over drivers. With friends in the vehicle he was driving, Shehzad initially just flashed the lights to pull a car over then scurried away.
But it escalated to getting out of his vehicle and, under the pretense of being an undercover officer, warning the driver and, at its peak, demanding money. Shehzad convinced two drivers to hand over $70 in total. One had recently got his license back and, although he didn't believe he was speeding, he quickly paid Shehzad $20. The other was a high school student and both had Ns on the backs of their vehicles.
His actions prompted Prince George RCMP to issue a warning advising drivers that police never have a reason to ask for money from a member of the public.
Shehzad pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion and one count of impersonating a peace officer in relation to those events. He also pleaded guilty to one count each of fraud $5,000 or under and theft under $5,000 for ringing through high-end merchandise at London Drugs, where he had been working, even though it had not been paid for, and then giving the items to his friends. He was also ringing items through as returned and giving his friends the cash. In all, the cameras, phones, headphones and other times proven to have gone missing added up to $4,850.
During a hearing last month, Crown prosecutor Geoff McDonald argued for three months in jail followed by two years probation. He also suggested that since Shehzad is currently attending University of Northern British Columbia, the term could be served during the summer when school is out.
Defence counsel Jason LeBlond argued for a conditional discharge with a two year probationary period featuring strict conditions. Shezhad committed the crimes less than a month after he turned 18 years old and to his credit he not only confessed to the crimes but worked to retrieve the items stolen from London Drugs and returned the $50 he extorted from one driver, the court had heard.
In reaching his decision, Galbraith said that on one hand the offences are serious but on the other they involve a young man who has led an "otherwise exceptional and exemplary life" and has a "bright future ahead of him." Galbraith also found Shehzad was remorseful and doubted he would ever end up in court again.
Shehzad is in his second year at UNBC where he is working towards entry into medical school.
A conditional sentence means he will serve the term at home provided he does not breach any of the conditions that come with the sentence. For the first six months, he is confined to his home except from 10 a.m. to noon unless he is at work or attending class. For the last six months, he is subject to a curfew from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. and his driving is limited to traveling to or from class or work. Shehzad was also ordered to participate in a victim reconciliation process, perform 40 hours of community work and provide a DNA sample.
Shehzad will have a criminal record and must wait for five years after the end of the sentence before he can seek a pardon.
