Bjarne Roussin is paying the price for not knowing when to quit.
Prosecutors say Roussin, 30, was the ringleader of a trio responsible for robbing a McPhillips Avenue payday loan outlet and for the attempted robbery of a second outlet that resulted in a dangerous high-speed chase.
Roussin’s arrest in March 2006 came just three months after he finished serving a six-year prison sentence for three crack-fuelled armed robberies.
Earlier this year a jury convicted Roussin of one count each of armed robbery and attempted armed robbery, several weapons offences, dangerous driving, two counts of obstructing justice and three counts of uttering threats and other offences. Jurors acquitted him of three additional robberies.
On Friday, Justice Doug Abra sentenced Roussin to 13 years in prison. Roussin received double credit of eight years time served, reducing his remaining sentence to five years.
Court heard Roussin orchestrated the robberies and remained in the getaway car while his two co-accused did the dirty work.
Police, noting similarities to Roussin’s previous robberies, placed a wiretap on his phone line and a GPS monitor on his car.
Roussin was under police surveillance when the three men tried robbing an Instaloans outlet in St. James. The robbers found the business locked and were confronted by police, who attempted to box-in their getaway car.
Roussin rammed a police cruiser and sped away. Police gave chase but quickly abandoned the pursuit due to safety concerns.
“His conduct was outrageous,” Abra said.
Police wiretaps caught Roussin trying to convince a former jail guard to join his criminal band of brothers.
Cops arrested Roussin and his two co-accused in March 2006. While in custody, he threatened to kill his girlfriend if she co-operated with police.
In a separate hearing Friday, a second judge sentenced Roussin to another 12 months in jail for dangerous driving and six months — to be served concurrently — for uttering threats.
Court heard Roussin, believing his girlfriend had been unfaithful, threatened to kill her during a harrowing, high-speed drive that ended when he plowed into a snow drift. Roussin later confronted the man he believed had been sleeping with his girlfriend and threatened to shoot him in the head.
A Winnipeg man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for a crime spree that included forcing others to carry out armed robberies by threatening violence against their families.
Bjarne Roussin was described in court Friday as someone who poses a high risk to reoffend and has "no respect" for society's rules.
"He is a career criminal," said Crown attorney Christina Kopynsky.
A jury convicted Roussin late last year of 17 criminal charges. Court was told he picked up two long-time friends in a rental car on Feb. 7, 2006, and drove them to three separate locations: Cash Converters in Transcona, The Cash Store on McPhillips Street and Insta Loan on Portage Avenue.
Roussin demanded the men commit robberies, saying he would go after their loved ones if they didn't comply. He gave them specific instructions on what to do and handed his two co-accused a bandana, a balaclava and sunglasses to hide their faces. Roussin also gave the men a pellet gun that looked like a real firearm and a can of bear spray, telling them to use the weapons to "scare" their victims.
Roussin remained outside in the vehicle while all three robberies occurred. He then pocketed all the proceeds.
Winnipeg police had set up surveillance at several local payday-loan businesses and caught the third robbery as it happened. Officers tried to stop Roussin as he sped away in his rental car, but quickly lost him.
He pulled the same routine on Feb. 20, 2006, this time sending one of the men to rob the Pizza Hut on Portage Avenue and the Norwood Hotel beer vendor. Roussin paid the man $200 for his efforts, court was told.
The two co-accused pleaded guilty to their roles in the robberies and testified against Roussin.
Police investigators used technology to help crack the case by planting a GPS tracking system on Roussin's vehicle, which allowed them to secretly record conversations going on inside. They suspected he was involved, based on a lengthy criminal history for similar robberies. Roussin was also caught on a telephone wiretap discussing another planned robbery with a man, court was told.
Roussin was also convicted this week on separate charges involving dangerous driving and uttering threats against his girlfriend, which were recorded on a listening device planted inside his vehicle.
Roussin has spent four years in custody since his arrest and was given double-time credit of eight years. He was still able to take advantage of the controversial two-for-one credit because his time in custody predates new federal legislation that came into effect last week and prohibits judges from awarding it.
Roussin was then given another five years behind bars.
March 3, 2009
A Winnipeg man is on trial for allegedly planning a series of armed robberies and then forcing others to carry out the acts by threatening violence against their families.
Bjarne Roussin began his Queen's Bench trial Monday by pleading not guilty to 25 criminal charges. Crown attorney Elizabeth Pats outlined the case against Roussin in her opening statement to the jury.
Roussin is accused of picking up two long-time friends in a rental car on Feb. 7, 2006 and driving them to three separate locations: Cash Convertors in Transcona, The Cash Store on McPhillips Street and Insta Loan on Portage Avenue.
"While driving there Roussin gave instructions ...on how to commit the robbery. Once at the scenes, Roussin took a bag out of the truck of the Toyota and gave his two co-accused a bandana, a balaclava and sunglasses to hide their faces," Pats told jurors. He then handed the men a pellet gun that looked like the real thing and a can of bear spray, telling them to use the weapons to "scare" their victims, she said.
Roussin remained outside in the vehicle while all three robberies occurred.
"All of the proceeds were given to Mr. Roussin," said Pats. "Mr. Roussin did not physically enter these locations. Not only was he the wheel man, he was the person in charge."
Winnipeg police had set up surveillance at several local payday loan businesses and caught the third robbery as it happened. Officers tried to stop Roussin as he sped away in his rental car but quickly lost him.
"Roussin knew that he had collided with an unmarked police car. In order to get away you will hear he drove at high rates of speed ignoring traffic lights and stop signs," said Pats. "They ended up in Fort Garry, picking up lighter fluid on the way as they had a plan to burn the car to destroy the evidence. They pulled into a back lane ...but they thought they were seen by someone so instead they walked away abandoning the car."
Roussin allegedly pulled the same routine on Feb. 20, this time sending one of the men to rob the Pizza Hut on Portage Avenue and the Norwood Hotel beer vendor. Roussin paid the man $200 for his efforts, court was told.
The two co-accused have pleaded guilty to their roles in the robberies and are expected to testify against Roussin.
The man who did all five hold-ups was given a deal from justice officials in exchange for his evidence.
Pats said police investigators used technology to help crack the case by planting a GPS tracking system on Roussin's vehicle, which allowed them to secretly record conversations going on inside. Roussin was also caught on a telephone wiretap discussing another planned robbery with a man, court was told.
Roussin's former girlfriend is also expected to testify about renting the vehicle which was used in the crimes, and then being threatened by Roussin not to speak with police to protect him from prosecution.
The case is expected to last six weeks.
Dec.15, 2009
A Winnipeg man has been convicted of planning a series of armed robberies and then forcing others to carry out the acts by threatening violence against their families.
Jurors heard nearly six weeks of evidence and spent 48 hours deliberating before finding Bjarne Roussin guilty of 17 criminal charges Saturday afternoon.
Roussin was accused of picking up two longtime friends in a rental car on Feb. 7, 2006, and driving them to three separate locations: Cash Convertors in Transcona, The Cash Store on McPhillips Street and Insta Loan on Portage Avenue.
Jurors heard how Roussin gave the men instructions on how to commit the robberies. He remained in the vehicle while all three robberies occurred.
The two co-accused pleaded guilty to their roles in the robberies and testified against Roussin. One of the co-accused was given a deal from justice officials in exchange for his evidence.
My opinion??
Considering this man's planned and deliberate robberies, forcing others to commit them for him, getting all the proceeds, lengthy criminal history, high risk to re-offend and being convicted of 17 charges... I think that this sentence is completely appropriate. I have said before that I believe prison should only be reserved for the most violent, high risk and dangerous offenders and I believe Roussin, fits this category. However, the media did not report on any mitigating factors, so they are a bit biased and therefore, I don't know his side of the story. But after double time credit is taken into account, I think that 5 years is appropriate for Roussin.
