BY KEITH LACEY
A winter vacation usually means a ski trip, soaking in the hot sun in a foreign country or catching up on some sleep and relaxing.
When James Seguin took a winter vacation two weeks before Christmas two years ago, he went on a wild crime spree.
Seguin, 25, pleaded guilty to 47 of 130 charges he was facing Monday at the Sudbury courthouse. He will be sentenced Sept. 1.
During a two-week period between Dec. 8 and Dec. 22, 2003, Seguin admitted being involved in 18 break and enters at various businesses and residences across Greater Sudbury.
He also pleaded guilty to stealing or attempting to steal 15 vehicles and 11 counts of mischief where he and co-accused caused wilful damage to almost a dozen other vehicles.
The total amount of the vehicles and merchandise stolen wasn't added up in court Monday, but some quick math reveals the total amount to be well in excess of $100,000.
It was revealed Seguin and good friend Pierre Leblanc were involved together in most of the incidents, but Travis Alston was also involved in numerous break and enters and thefts.
Leblanc recently received a 30-month penitentiary term, while Alston received a 12-month jail sentence.
All of the break and enters took place at night and were always preceded by vehicles being stolen, said assistant Crown attorney Philip Zylberberg.
Much of the stolen merchandise was recovered at hock shops in southern Ontario.
The crime spree was so brazen, Seguin admitted to breaking into two of the businesses on two separate occasions during the two-week crime wave.
In relation to many of the mischief charges, not only were vehicle windows smashed and doors or ignition systems damaged, but much of the interior damage was excessive and had nothing to do with being able to turn over the ignition to get the vehicle mobile, said Zylberberg.
One vehicle sustained more than $7,000 in damage, while another had more than $4,000 in merchandise stolen and sustained more than $2,000 in damage.
During the spree, every business in two different strip malls were broken into.
During one theft, a total of $170 was stolen from a box inside a car used to collect money for chocolate bars for a non-profit organization.
Seguin and Leblanc were finally caught the evening of Dec. 22 and were found to be in possession of stolen truck. Inside the vehicle, police found a crowbar and balaclava, break-in tools and numerous stolen items.
Seguin was on probation for other property crimes during the entire crime spree.
Defence counsel Robert Beckett said his client and Leblanc were lifelong friends who hadn't seen each other in quite some time.
Seguin was on holidays and had a bonus cheque for $6,700 from his sales job and he decided to start partying and using drugs, which had been a problem in the past, and ended up blowing the entire amount in the days before the crime spree began, said Beckett.
?He wanted to recover some of that money? and he and Leblanc decided to engage in the crime spree, he said.
Seguin's main role was to drive Leblanc and other accused to the various residences and businesses, but he knew why they were being driven there, even though he didn't participate in most of the thefts or break and enters, said Beckett.
This crime spree is very serious, but not a reflection of how Seguin has led most of his life, as he has only a minor record and long history of working hard and making good money, said Beckett.
Seguin has continued to work since being arrested and has not become involved in any other criminal activity since being released on bail 15 months ago, he said.
He is asking for an additional six months before sentence is imposed to allow his client to continue working so he can accumulate some money towards paying restitution to the many people he stole from, said Beckett.
He's also involved in a drug rehabilitation program, which is going well, he said.
Zylberberg said the Crown will be seeking a substantial penitentiary term for Seguin considering the scope of serious crimes involved.
It's expected Beckett will ask for a conditional sentence or lighter jail term.
Seguin will remain free until sentencing and will have to continue to abide by his bail conditions.
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