A local man’s habit of filling up his red Dodge Charger and not paying for gas caught him on Tuesday. Kevin Dubois was in a Sault Ste. Marie courtroom to face multiple charges stemming from incidents that occurred between July 2021 and early this month. He pleaded guilty to 13 offences, including theft, possession of a weapon, breach of orders, possession of drugs and failure to appear in court. And the 30-year-old man, who had little previous involvement with the justice system, now has a criminal record because of his “significant” drug addiction. He also faces five months of house arrest, followed by two years of probation. “This is your first criminal record and you have the opportunity to make it your last,” Ontario Court Judge John Condon told the father of three when he imposed the sentence. “Whether it’s for yourself or your children, keep at it and make yourself a better person.” The sentence was proposed jointly by prosecutor Blair Hagan and defense attorney Ken Walker. The court heard Dubois stole $72 worth of gas from a Wawa Esso station on July 8, 2021. He returned to the same gas station on Oct. 1, where he filled his vehicle with $75 worth of gas and again failed to pay for the fuel. Dubois told the clerk he had forgotten his wallet and promised to return with the money. He left a folding knife as bail, but it never turned up, Hagan said. On Dec. 4, he did the same thing in Sault Ste. Mary. DuBois pulled into the Circle K on the East Third Line and when his card was declined, he indicated he would return to pay the bill. He did not, and when an employee realized he had done so in the past, he contacted the police. “He had a history of not paying for gas,” the assistant Crown attorney said, adding that his actions were caught on video. A warrant was issued for his arrest and officers stopped his vehicle on Lennox Avenue two weeks later. Dubois had on him a tube containing a white substance. A magazine with 10 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition was found in the car. On January 27 this year, police were called to the Tim Hortons on John Street to check on the welfare of a man who was slumped over the steering wheel of a red Charger. Officers observed drug paraphernalia in the front console, a glass pipe with white residue and a large knife wedged in his seat. A baseball bat wrapped in chains and bolts was also in the front of the vehicle. Police found an ax in the back seat and bear spray (a prohibited weapon) in the glove compartment during further investigation, the Crown said. On May 10, Dubois was charged with theft for stealing merchandise from Canadian Tire. He was arrested outside the store after leaving without paying for bike parts and $231 worth of spray paint, Hagan said. Federal prosecutor Lindsey Marshall said courthouse police were called to check a vehicle on February 5. They found Dubois asleep and drug paraphernalia in the console. When he woke up he was arrested, he said. He was searched and had 0.06 grams of white fentanyl on him. Dubois has been held at the Algoma Treatment and Detention Center since his arrest earlier this month. Hagan said the proposed suspended sentence reflected the defendant’s lack of criminal record and his premature statements. The Crown could easily seek a custodial sentence, he said, adding that “we hope” DuBois gets some help for his significant drug issues. Walker said his client came to court with no criminal record and “we’re going straight to a custodial sentence.” Many other options, such as fines and suspended sentences, were bypassed, the defense said. “I told him if he violates his conditional sentence he could end up serving it on remand (in prison),” Walker told the judge. “He has everything to gain by complying and everything to lose by not doing so.” Crack cocaine and fentanyl were the drugs of choice for Dubois, a miner who had been laid off from his job, Walker said. “We don’t want to give up on rehabilitation” for a man who had no prior criminal record, he told the court. In imposing the sentence, Condon said he took into account the guilty pleas and the fact that DuBois was “obviously dealing with a significant addiction” and still is. The primary purpose of this shared sentencing is rehabilitation and that “benefits you and society,” he told Dubois. “You are still young and have the opportunity to become a better person and father.” During his five months of house arrest, Dubois can only be outside the residence for counseling services and medical emergencies. He is allowed to leave for five hours on Monday to procure the necessaries of life. He also must not have drugs, alcohol or weapons. During his two-year probation, Dubois must stay away from the businesses he stole from and undergo substance abuse counseling. Condon ordered that he must pay restitution of $45 to Circle K and $146 to Wawa Esso before the end of the first year of the probation order. Must not have weapons or ammunition. The judge also imposed a two-year gun ban and ordered Dubois to provide a DNA sample for the national database.
