SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife man is facing more jail time after walking out of the Canadian Tire store twice in two days with stolen rifles, including one hidden in a soft-shelled gun case purchased at the self-serve checkout line.

Firearms were stolen from Canadian Tire twice in two days. It couldn't be determined by press time whether the store is changing its security protocols in the wake of the incidents. - Walter Strong/NNSL photo

Beau Desire-Tesar received 18 months in jail for multiple offenses in territorial court Friday, including two charges of theft, failure to appear in court, failure to comply with bail conditions and a long-standing drug trafficking charge, for which he received the most jail time.

Desire-Tesar acted alone in the first theft on May 24, after managing to remove a Norinko rifle from the store's display cabinet and concealing it inside a carrying bag for rifles, also sold in the sporting goods section of the store. Desire-Tesar then carried the concealed firearm to one of the store's self-serve checkout lines, paid for the soft shell bag - but not the weapon hidden inside - and then walked out of the store.

To avoid being detected by the computerized check-out system, Desire-Tesar placed a second empty rifle case -- identical to the one he was paying for -- in the check-out station's bagging area, which weighs items as they are rung through. He left this second bag behind when leaving the store.

The second theft took place the following evening. Desire-Tesar returned to Canadian Tire, this time with Todd Vatcher, 23, and the men once again broke into the locked gun display cabinet, stealing two short-barreled guns and hiding them in their clothes before exiting the store. The men were arrested almost three weeks later.

Shortly after the second theft, RCMP issued a news release stating they were investigating the theft of a Rossi Ranch Hand rifle and a Chiappa Survival Series rifle from Canadian Tire. There was no mention of the Norinko rifle stolen the day before. That was due to a mistake when the news release was issued, according to RCMP Const. Elenore Sturko.

The method by which Desire-Tesar gained entry to the gun display case was not revealed by RCMP.

"We did not want to put the method out there for others to use," said Sturko.

Yellowknifer attempted to determine whether Canadian Tire has addressed its security protocols for firearm storage and surveillance since the thefts but Yellowknife store owner Warren Pariseau was unavailable for comment by press time.

Crown prosecutor Annie Piche recommended 12 months in jail for a charge of trafficking cocaine dating back to 2010, four months for the thefts and two months for other infractions. Desire-Tesar will also be banned from owning a firearm for 10 years and be required to repay Canadian Tire the value of the stolen firearms.

Although two of the three weapons have been recovered by police, they cannot be resold for safety reasons.

"I think the Crown's position is reasonable," said Judge Robert Gorin.

While the robberies may have led to Desire-Tesar's most recent arrest, Gorin focused most of his remarks on the man's trafficking offence, stating that the drug trade has had a "devastating" effect on Yellowknife.

"You need to know this kind of behaviour ... is parasitic," he said.

In his presentation to the judge, defense lawyer Tracy Bock described his client as a man who has struggled with drugs since high school.

"Being addicted to drugs has ruined his life," said Bock, adding that Desire-Tesar was "not blaming anyone but himself" for the situation he is in today.

Bock said his client's guilty pleas should be seen as an indication of his sincere desire to change.

"I would like to apologize to my family and the community of Yellowknife," Desire-Tesar said in his address to the court.

He said he is "thankful nothing tragic happened" as a result of his actions.

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