Break-ins, guns thefts, and vehicle heists in southwest lands suspect jail time

A man caught breaking into multiple homes, stealing firearms, and taking multiple vehicles in the southwest last year has pled guilty to eight charges.

Tyler James Poczik was sentenced to 240 days in prison on Tuesday in Swift Current Provincial Court for his involvement in a string of incidents in January of 2023 near Ferguson Bay and Shaunavon. He was also handed a lifetime firearm ban and ordered to provide DNA.

The Medicine Hat resident along with Patrick Ryan Price, who was already sentenced, broke into a residence by Ferguson Bay on Jan. 15, 2023, and stole a truck before ditching it on a rural road near Simmie.

Later that evening the pair broke into a home on a rural farm by Shaunavon, stole three guns, stole a motor vehicle, damaged it's ignition while stealing it, and damaged the vehicle. The two were found shortly after attempting to flee on foot.

Poczik pled guilty to break-and-enter to commit theft and theft of a vehicle from the first incident. He also pled guilty to break-and-enter to commit theft, two counts of possession of a long rifle without a license, possession of a shotgun without a license, possessing a firearm while banned, damaging a motor vehicle, and mischief.

All eight charged were compiled together for his 'global' sentencing.

"That was actually quite low in these circumstances," Crown prosecutor Greg Lee said while describing the sentencing term. "The reason why he got a lower sentence than usual is because he's was actually a serving prisoner already in the federal penitentiary in Alberta.

"Normally breaking and entering two different dwelling houses would merit a very serious jail sentence."

Lee added that his eight charges could have landed him a sentencing double the amount if he wasn't already serving three and a half years from crimes committed in Alberta.

"He ran a bail hearing (here) and was released on bail to live in an address in Medicine Hat," he said. "While he was there, he committed a whole bunch of other offences and that's what he went into the pen for."

Poczik will serve over four years with the Alberta and Saskatchewan sentences combined at Bowden Institution, a medium security federal prison. His sentence locally will be reduce to 204 days remaining as he had 36 days time served before receiving bail.