A Brampton man pleaded guilty in Bracebridge recently for his role in the theft and re-selling of trailers stolen from Muskoka and other parts of central Ontario.
George Hucal, 60, pled guilty to possession of stolen property stemming from a number of thefts that occurred earlier this year.
According to a police report, officers with the Muskoka Community Street Crime Unit had been looking into several trailers reported stolen throughout Muskoka and Central Ontario.
Court heard that a man from Barrie, whose trailer had been stolen, found the trailer for sale on Facebook Marketplace and contacted the police.
Police say officers from multiple jurisdictions including Caledon, Barrie, and the Orillia served two search warrants in Brampton and Gravenhurst on March 22, 2023, and charges were laid against four people, including Hucal and multiple Gravenhurst residents.
Hucal admitted that he had sold six or seven trailers that had been stolen by the Gravenhurst suspects.
Justice Sarah Tarcza said although Hucal was a player in the scheme, he was not the mastermind.
Hucal was sentenced to five months of house arrest, probation for 12 months, and told to pay back $4,000 in restitution.
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Another day, another non-sentence, this time for a serial thief. Mr Hucal will enjoy a five month forced vacation in the comfort of his own home, possibly coordinating more criminal activity over the phone or computer, while most of his victims are stuck with dealing with the loss of a (four thousand dollar?) trailer. Surely enduring five months of the hell known as prison would be a more effective….deterrent. There’s that word again