A stay behind bars will be longer than expected for a man who has nearly finished serving his sentence on weapons charges related to an alleged Prince George home invasion in the making.
With less than a month to go in the original term, Julien Naseem Abdala Yasin Lazarre, 26, is now facing more time in jail for offences allegedly committed while out on statutory release.
An offender serving federal time is automatically eligible for statutory release after serving two-thirds of their sentence. However, conditions can be imposed and if they are violated, the inmate can be brought back into custody and forced wait until they have served two-thirds of the remainder of their sentence before becoming eligible for release once again.
Less credit for time in custody prior to sentencing, Lazarre is serving a sentence of two years, eight months and 23 days. Over that time, the Parole Board of Canada has revoked his statutory release two times and, as of June 25, he had one month left to serve when a third round of statutory release was granted with conditions.
However, it was noted in the decision that Lazarre could be facing new charges stemming from his behaviour while out on statutory release in the Lower Mainland. And according to court records, a detention order has been issued to Lazarre on a count of being unlawfully at large from an alleged incident this past January and three counts of wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer related to an apprehension in April.
The original sentence was issued in August 2021. He had remained in custody since he was arrested in September 2019, the product of a chance encounter when Prince George RCMP's street crew unit were called to a report of a theft from a vehicle in the 1400 block of Carney Street.
Officers happened upon Lazarre and another man known to police, Devin Albert Olson, 31, in the back yard of a crack shack. Olson was later sentenced to one year probation for identity theft.
A search of Lazarre uncovered a rock of heroin-fentanyl, 33 tablets of ecstasy, a thick wad of cash adding up to $5,720, a flip phone and a cellphone. Significantly, RCMP also found an empty pistol holster shoved into the waistband of his pants.
Another search of the area by a dog and handler discovered a loaded handgun placed on a small mound behind a nearby utility pole and a judge later concluded the markings on the holster found on Lazarre were a match for the handgun.
Despite the weather, Lazarre was wearing a bulky winter coat with the hood up, along with gloves and sunglasses and was carrying a face mask in his satchel, suggesting he intended to carry out a home invasion at the house.
Lazarre was first released on statutory release in June 2023 with a condition that he stay at a halfway house in the Lower Mainland. But, according to the parole board decision, it was suspended the first day when it was discovered he had been picked up at the institution by a parolee who was unlawfully at large and it was subsequently revoked in November 2023.
The second round of statutory release went awry in late January, when, according to the parole board decision, he signed out of his residence to go to a restaurant. A few minutes before his curfew he called staff to report that he was waiting for a taxi and was told to call staff when he got into the cab but never did. The police department's high-risk offender unit and Crimestoppers were notified.
Three months later, police spotted him riding a bicycle and tried to stop him. According to police, Lazarre tried to flee and when arrested in the next block and he provided a false name and struggled while being handcuffed. Evidence of a handgun was found on his person, according to police, and a count of possessing a weapon had been recommended but has not been approved by Crown counsel.
